Just Right For Me
by archy12
Summary: Bella plans to ensnare Jasper into a proposal, but ends up getting married to his brother Edward. How will she adjust to the unexpected, especially when Edward apparently has the mind of a twelve-year old? AH/Slightly OOC
1. Chapter 1

Hi! This is my first Edward-Bella story. I wasn't sure whether to put it in 'Drama' or 'Humour', but hopefully there will be more of humour than drama!

SM still owns all things 'Twilight', just in case somebody didn't know…

Not beta'd, but any volunteers would be welcome!

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Chapter-1

"Mm,Jasper…"

Warmth. Softness. A weight resting between my breasts. My fingers twined up in silken strands of hair.

It was bliss. It was exactly what I had been planning for since I set my eyes on him. Jasper, the golden-haired Adonis, the youngest son of my father's best friend. He had been flirting with me since I came back from school, but never saying the three words I wanted to hear from him. Well, that was about to change. Once my father saw me in Jasper's bed, he would have to declare his feelings for me and propose—fast. Anything else and he would be staring down the sleek barrel of Charlie's favourite Beretta Elite.

There was a loud knock on the door. I smiled to myself but kept my eyes shut. Rose was there. I had no idea what time it was, but the plan was for her to help my father 'accidently' discover me before Jasper woke up. She had already informed me while smuggling me to his room the night before that he was too drunk to wake up any time before noon.

The knock was repeated, and this time it was loud enough to be termed a bang. The weight on my chest shifted a bit. Was he waking up? I opened one eye and peeked, the same time the door burst open and Charlie marched into the room, red-faced with fury.

"Bella," he thundered , moustache wobbling dangerously. I sat up with such haste that Jasper rolled off of me, almost falling on the floor. His arms and legs flailed around, and the blanket that he had been hidden inside fell off, revealing a head full of wild, bronze-coloured hair.

Wait, what? Since when did Jasper have bronze hair?

"Edward?" Rose screeched.

"Edward?" I whispered in complete disbelief.

Charlie looked at the three of us one by one, his eyebrows knit in puzzlement.

"Were you expecting somebody else in his bed?" he barked at Rose and me.

Both of us shook our heads frantically. I was in enough hot water already. I did not need to explain to my father why there should have been another man sitting beside me, professing his love for me and asking Charlie for my hand.

"Edward?" Charlie's tone was much softer this time, almost as if he was addressing a child. Well, he wasn't exactly wrong…Since his accident a couple of years ago, Edward had been behaving pretty much like a child, or at most like an extremely simple-minded adult. As far as I knew he spent all his time drawing and sketching, and playing games on his computer. The doctor had presented his parents—Carlisle and Esme—with a very complicated tongue-twister of a name to describe his medical condition. Jasper just called him retarded, which I agreed with completely.

Edward, who had finally got his arms disentangled from the blanket and was blinking sleepily at us, beamed at Charlie.

"Uncle Charlie, I slept with Bella last night!"

Charlie's jaw hit the floor.

"What—Isabella—what is this boy saying? You—how could you?"

"No, Dad, of course I did not! I mean, I was here, but— "

I looked at Rose for some help, but she seemed to be stuck on the mute button, her eyes wide as saucers. I gave Edward a stern, do-not-lie-to-me-little-boy look.

"Edward, we did not sleep together last night. Why are you saying that?"

"We did Bella," he reaffirmed, nodding emphatically. "When I went to bed you were not there, but I woke up in the night to go to the bathroom, and you were asleep right here." He patted the bed, grinning like a monkey. "I liked sleeping with you Bella. It means I am grown up now, because Mommy told me only grown-ups sleep together. Will you sleep with me tonight also?"

"Bella," Charlie said slowly, the wheels in his mind turning almost visibly. "Did you enter this room deliberately, saw Edward asleep and still chose to sleep in the same bed? Did you—" His voice dropped almost to a whisper, "—touch him? At all?"

Even Rose looked disgusted at this question.

"Yes Uncle Charlie, Bella touched me," Edward piped up, blessedly unaware of the effect his words were having on everybody. Evidently he could hear Charlie's whisper as well as the rest of us. To drive the last nail into the coffin, he flung aside the blanket completely, revealing a pair of blue boxers with the picture of an X-box controller on them, accompanied by the words 'Wanna play?'

"See? You touched me here and here." He pointed to his chest and back. "I touched you too. Your boobs are so soft!"

Charlie paled a little on hearing about my boobs.

"Do you like him that much, Bella? You know he is—"

He seemed to be having difficulty in finding a word that would not be offensive to Rose. However, Esme's appearance at the door saved him from having to think too much.

"Mom!"

Edward jumped up from the bed and ran to Esme, hugging her as if he had not seen her for years.

"Mom, I slept with Bella last night, just like you and Daddy."

Esme stared at me, wild-eyed. Although I was still wearing my dress from the party, I suddenly felt naked. All I could do was to shake my head in a silent 'no'.

"Um, sweetie," she tried to reason with Edward, "that is not possible. Daddy and I are married, but you are not. You must be mistaken."

Charlie looked grave. "Apparently Bella here has taken a fancy to him. It seems she sneaked into his room after the party last evening and…spent the night with him. I don't know what to say."

Edward seemed to be working out a problem in his head. Suddenly he nodded and smiled.

"Mom, Bella and I should get married!"

* * *

End note: So, any comments? And I promise, I am not making fun of people suffering from memory loss or anything. Bear with me and all will be explained.

More background will be given in the next chapter. I plan to update frequently, keeping the chapters short.


	2. Chapter 2

So many readers, alerts and follows in a single day! Thank you so much, everyone.

SM still owns the 'Twilight' world… I just own a quirky imagination!

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Chapter-2

"I do."

"I do."

Yes, I was getting married. To Edward, the perpetual pre-teen.

I know girls often imagine a dream wedding. My wedding? More of a nightmare come true, I think.

There was nothing wrong with the wedding itself. Even though Charlie did not appreciate my method of finding a groom, he was not likely to be stingy with his only daughter's wedding, was he now? After all, he had a reputation to uphold.

Charlie was an arms dealer. Well, a retired one. He still had an impressive private collection though, enough to scare me. After living in Chicago all his life, he had suddenly decided to chuck it all up and be a gentleman of leisure in a sleepy little town called Forks. And yes, I already heard the jokes about knives and spoons at the fancy boarding school where I had been a senior, thank you very much.

"You may now kiss the bride."

I hoped Edward wouldn't say 'ew'. It would kind of spoil the mood, you know? The flowers, the twinkling lights, the solemn minister, the smiling guests…the whole atmosphere was expectant of something wonderful and exciting. Even though it had been put together in a haste, and right in the backyard of the Cullens, there had been nothing lacking. Again, there had been a reputation to be upheld.

Carlisle Cullen was in the drug trade. He chose to settle in Forks because he wished to keep a low profile. Plus Esme, his wife, liked the small town life, and he loved her. They had three children. Edward was the eldest at twenty one, and according to Charlie Carlisle had had high hopes from him. He had shown promise even at school, being a natural leader with an even temperament and an exceptional organizational ability, but the accident and its aftereffects had thwarted Carlisle's plans completely.

I looked at Edward, smiling encouragingly. It couldn't be that bad to kiss him, I decided. I had never paid attention to his looks, but I realised now that he was actually quite beautiful. His bronze hair glittered in the setting sun, and I recalled how soft it was. His eyes were a cool green, shining with happiness. He looked at me shyly through his long eyelashes and then turned towards the minister.

"Really? I can kiss her?"

The minister pressed his lips together, probably trying not to laugh. He nodded.

"My first kiss!" declared Edward loudly, and this time the minister did laugh. So did the guests, although Esme had tears in her eyes even while smiling. Edward bowed his head slightly to close the gap between us despite the high heels I was wearing, and planted a solid smooch on my lips. He seemed to like the experience, for he licked his lips and kissed my right cheek, then the left one, and finished the whole by returning to my lips again. I wasn't sure whether to be flattered that he liked kissing me so much, or be embarrassed by the display.

"Your lips taste like candy Bella," he whispered as if he did not want anybody else to know it. "I wanted to see if your cheeks were the same, but they are a little salty. Still, they are nice."

His lips were worth a compliment too, I thought, soft and full and light red. However, before I could say anything the minister made us turn towards the guests, presenting us as the newly minted couple. There was a polite applause. How ridiculous a mix it was—the various smugglers and dealers of the country standing with the utterly respectable folk of the little town. The story in Forks was that the Cullens owned a pharmaceutical company. It wasn't wholly false—they actually did have a couple of factories in Port Angeles and Olympia, but the real money came from drugs—both soft and hard. Charlie had met Carlisle a few times over the years, and mutual respect had led to friendship. When he had complained to Carlisle that he was fed up of the big city life, Carlisle immediately suggested he move to his town.

Renee, my mother, had been out of the picture for a long time. She left us when I was three, so I don't remember her much. Charlie said that she could not face the responsibility of raising a child, and he must be right. What else it could be? My father loved her, still does actually—that's why he never remarried or had a girlfriend, and she had all the comforts a woman could want. Anyway, her running away made Charlie rather paranoid, you know? I studied in a prestigious all-girls' school, and even when I came home for the holidays there were no boys around. We went on trips to Europe and Asia, Charlie and I and our housekeeper-cum-nanny, Sue. It was because of Sue that I never missed my mother. Well, almost.

Charlie did not lecture me on morals or anything, but he made it very clear nonetheless that I was to save myself for marriage, and once I was married I had to make it last. I could see that Renee had disappointed him considerably, so I was determined not to. And that was why I had quietly agreed to this wedding. I could have never explained the truth to him—how smitten I was with Jasper, and how I had plotted to wrangle a proposal out of him.

Twenty year old Jasper was the pinpoint of Carlisle's hopes now, now that it was clear Edward could never lead the Cullen empire. He was smart and charismatic, and had been working for his father since graduating from high school. Then there was Rosalie, eighteen like me, and being courted by Emmet of the McCarty Fitness Factory. They had branches all over the country, with the head office being based in Seattle. The party I had mentioned in the beginning? Yes, that was their engagement party.

"Bella, I don't know how to dance."

I blinked. Evidently I had spaced out while the announcement was being made. Now that the sun had properly set, the fairy lights strung over the huge outdoor dance floor glimmered in blue and red and yellow, creating a magical ambience. Esme and I had chosen a cherry red finish, and I could see the lights reflected in the highly polished surface. Rose, who had seemed consistently afraid that I might strangle her after the mistake she had made in leading me to the wrong room, had nodded enthusiastically.

"That's okay Edward, neither do I."

We shuffled awkwardly for a minute, after which we were thankfully joined by other guests. I danced, or rather moved left and right, with Charlie and Carlisle too. And then Esme came and hugged me, thanking me profusely.

"Whatever for, Esme?"

"For choosing Edward, Bella. I had thought—since his accident, I mean—that he would never have a normal life. You have given him everything, filled the emptiness in his life. I can never thank you enough."

Did she really think Edward could have a 'normal' life? What did marriage even mean to him, except sleeping together in the same bed? Would he expect me to read comics with him? I glanced around and found him jumping on the dance floor with a ten-year old cousin of his.

And then Jasper was in front of me.

"May I have a dance with you, Mrs Cullen?"

Esme left us with a laugh, and suddenly I was being twirled around expertly among the other couples. Being in his arms was heaven. If only he had done something, anything at all, a few days ago…

"So Bella, how does it feel to be Edward's _wife_?"

The music had slowed, and we were at the edge of the dance floor. I stared at him, puzzled by the bitterness in his voice.

"What do _you_ care, Jasper? "

His arms tightened around me. It was almost painful.

"Of course I care, Bella. I was planning to let you know with some grand gesture, but you were in such a hurry to become part of the Cullen family. Really, going to Edward's room and sleeping in his bed? I had never imagined you would stoop so low!"

I tried to push him away. His grip only became more vice-like.

"Answer me Bella. Could you not have waited for a few days more? What was the hurry?"

"It was a mistake, okay?" I whisper-yelled, glaring at him for good measure. "I meant to go and sleep in your room, but I didn't know which one it was. So I asked Rosalie to help me, and she did. Only she was drunk and mistakenly led me to Edward's bedroom, asking me to slip quietly in the bed and go to sleep. In the morning Charlie found us and…what could I do?"

He let me go so suddenly I stumbled backwards. Pure shock was etched on his features.

"So…you love me?"

"Yes."

"I love you too, Bella."

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End Note: Uh-oh. Did you see that coming? And is there anything else you would like to know about the Cullens, or the Swans?

Somebody asked if Bella would be mean to Edward. So, Bella is not really mean, but she is rather thoughtless, and selfish. That might lead her to do some mean things. Maybe.


	3. Chapter 3

Gosh, people are really worried about Bella cheating on Edward. Don't worry folk, that will never happen. To be melodramatic—you will have to kill me first! :P

SM owns everything 'Twilight'. I know; I am surprised too!

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Chapter-3

What was my wedding night going to be like?

As I said before, Charlie had made sure I never dated, so I had never been close to a boy. Sure I had heard stories from my high school friends, but I wasn't sure how much truth they had, and how much exaggeration. As for the mandatory classes of Sex-Ed as a Senior, I got the basics, but I was sure the practical side would be different. A lot.

Not that I had much of a chance to find out. Most probably Edward and I would spend the night playing Checkers. And he probably slept at ten anyway.

When Jasper had exploded my world with those four words, I had been shocked into speechlessness.

My second reaction had been to look around nervously, just in case someone had heard him. However, nobody seemed to be paying attention to us. And the music was pretty loud too. As for Edward, he was at the drinks table with Emmet, laughing loudly. His laugh was so open and refreshing that I could not help but smile.

As if he had sensed my stare, he turned towards me, eyebrows raised in question. I just shook my head. But he grabbed Emmet's hand and dragged him to where I was standing with Jasper. In his other hand was a can of Diet Coke.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, beaming at us. "This is Emmet—my best friend. Will you dance with him?"

Emmet grinned and shook my hand.

"Congratulations, Bella."

"What are you drinking, Edward?" asked Jasper from behind me.

Edward held out his Diet Coke. He had not opened it yet, and the tiny droplets of condensation on the outside gave it a very advert-like look. I was half-tempted to snatch it from his hand and down at least half of the contents.

"Oh poor Edward," mocked Jasper. "It is your wedding and you are not having even a glass of champagne?"

I glared at him. Why was he making fun of Edward? Suddenly I felt fiercely protective of the little boy trapped in the man's body.

"Mom won't let me drink anything else," pouted Edward. He did not seem to mind Jasper's ribbing. However, I thought I detected the same protectiveness on Emmet's face as I was feeling.

"Do you want me to smuggle you a glass, Eddie?" murmured Jasper in his smooth voice. As a rule I liked his voice. In fact, I thought it was so seductive. At that moment however, it reminded me nothing more than of the serpent offering Eve the forbidden apple.

"Jasper, you can't do that!" I scolded him, but he merely laughed.

"Don't call me Eddie!" That was Edward, of course.

"Why not, Bella? I bet Eddie here will have lots of fun with some bubbly inside him."

"DON'T CALL ME EDDIE! AND I LIKE COKE!"

Edward shook his fist at Jasper furiously and suddenly snapped back the tab. The dark liquid flew out in a cold, sticky shower. He pushed me away, but Jasper caught it full in his face. I regained my balance to see the lapels of his elegant light grey suit darkening.

"Oh, hell! That was a Gucci, you imbecile!"

He marched off fuming.

"Sorry, Jasper!" yelled Edward to his retreating back, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Emmet was in splits, laughing soundlessly and clutching his stomach. It took him a few minutes to calm down.

"So Bella, shall we dance?"

"Sure."

He didn't twirl me around like Jasper, but he wasn't bad either. When there was a lull in the music, I asked him how he had become Edward's 'best friend'.

"We met at college, in Seattle."

My eyebrows shot up.

"I didn't know Edward had gone to college," I admitted. In fact, I didn't know anything about him. It saddened me a bit.

Emmet's smile was sad too.

"He was the smartest student in our year. We had three classes together, and we got along like a house on fire from the very first day. He is a great guy, Bella."

"I wish I had met him before that accident," I said softly. "How did that happen, anyway?"

"We had gone to Florida for our Spring break. I went to meet a cousin of mine one day and then asked Edward to join us for lunch," Emmet informed me. The music began again, but I didn't want to dance any more. We started to walk back to where Edward was standing, happily chatting with Rosalie now. Jasper was nowhere to be seen.

"On the way to the restaurant, his taxi fell into the ocean. The driver died, so we never knew what caused it. Edward was in coma for twelve days. When he came to, he did not remember anything."

"I am really sorry."

"We all are, Bella. But I am happy you care for him enough to marry him. True, he behaves like a twelve-year old, but he still is a smart guy. I believe he can overcome his…problems if someone would just love him and treat him as a grown man. His parents are being overprotective—that does not help him."

I looked at him; my doubts clear on my face. He smiled.

"Just try to be normal with him, okay?"

I wasn't sure what all being normal with Edward entailed, but I nodded anyway. It might not work, but Emmet's intentions were good, that much was clear.

Finally the reception was over, the guests had departed and Edward and I were in his room. He had offered me the bathroom first, like a gentleman, and I had taken full advantage of it. Now he was in there, immersed in a bathtub replete with giant, colourful bubbles. And yes, he had gleefully shown them to me and asked sweetly if I would like to have them in my bath the next day.

I looked around his room curiously. It didn't really look like a typical boy's room. The walls were a glowing eggshell and a subdued orange, and the furniture a traditional cherry wood. It wasn't fanatically neat, but neither was it a mess. Of course, the accident had taken place only two years ago or so, so the walls and furniture would reflect what Edward had liked then. But why had he not tried to redecorate the room in any way?

Other than a couple of music festivals—Coachella and Bumbershoot—posters, the walls were mostly bare. The desk near the large window had a silver laptop and some stationery on its smooth wooden surface. There were also a couple of cupboards full of books of all sorts—fiction, non-fiction and yes, lots of comics. There were also a few books he must have used while studying at college.

My attention was drawn to a group picture on the top of his dresser. It was nicely framed, and when I picked it up and examined it, I could recognise the building of the Forks High School in the background. Of course I did not know any of the dozen people in the photograph, except Edward, though one of the girls seemed familiar. Maybe I had seen her at the diner?

I opened the top drawer of the dresser, thinking perhaps he had his school yearbook there. Instead my eyes met with multiple sets of neatly kept binders. I lifted up one and opened it. There were sheets and sheets filled with sketches, with the dialogues written inside balloons. Where had he got them from? I sat down on the bed and began to read. A few pages showed it was a graphic novel, with an extremely interesting theme. I became so lost in reading it that I never even noticed when Edward came out of the bathroom. I jumped a foot when he touched my shoulder.

"Do you like it, Bella?"

I looked at him, looking good enough to eat in light blue pajamas, hair damp and tousled. Suddenly it occurred to me that I should have waited to ask his permission. I apologised quickly. He shook his head and smiled.

"It doesn't matter. But do you like the story?"

"Oh yes, it is amazing. And the sketching is so…I have never seen anybody draw like that, Edward. Where did you get them?"

He beamed like I had just conferred the Nobel Prize upon him.

"I did them, Bella. I have always liked comic characters, and I like to sketch."

"But this has a story too—a very good one…"

He almost hid his face in my shoulder.

"It is mine."

My mouth opened and shut like a goldfish.

"Really—this whole thing—this is all yours?"

He raised his head and gave me a shy smile, and nodded.

"Edward, this is great! You are—you are a genius! Have you shown it to anybody?"

"Only Emmet. "

Well, of course. Who else could he have shown his work? Nobody took him seriously anyway. Suddenly what Emmet had said made a lot of sense.

"And what did he say?"

"He said we should get them published. But…I don't know…"

I put away the binder and grabbed Edward's hands, tightly.

"Of course we should. Edward, people are going to eat them up! You will be famous!"

He blushed.

"You really think so?"

"Definitely. I had no idea you were so talented!"

I hugged him, hard. I was truly happy for him. He seemed to be startled, but then his arms sneaked around me and he rested his chin on my shoulder. The feel of his hard, warm body against mine was comforting, but also something else. I turned my head and kissed his neck softly. His skin tasted so fresh and clean—I wanted to take a bite right there. But as soon as I nipped it lightly, he gasped sharply and shuddered.

I sprang back as if burnt. What was I doing? Whatever Emmet had said, I was sure he didn't mean me to attack Edward. However attracted I felt to his body, I had to remember that his mind had a lot of catching up to do—if it was possible, that is.

Edward stared at me with wide, innocent eyes.

"Were you tasting me, Bella? Like I tasted your cheek earlier?"

I gladly took the out he had unknowingly offered.

"Yes Edward, and you taste very nice."

"Sweet, or salty?"

"Um, kind of both?"

He nodded as if it made perfect sense.

"Like those monster cookies Mom makes?" He seemed tickled that he tasted like his favourite cookies. I smiled too.

"Well, I have not yet had one of those, but I am sure they taste exactly the same as you."

In the middle of this very romantic conversation, Edward gave a huge yawn. Then he covered his mouth and giggled.

"Sorry."

"It is okay Edward; it's been a long day. Let us go to sleep."

The last time I had stolen in Edward's bed, I was too keyed up to pay attention to it. Now that I did look, I could see it was a king-size bed with a beautifully carved headboard. The mattress was thick and the sheet deliciously soft. No wonder I had slept like the dead, without caring _who_ I was sleeping with!

Edward snuggled up to me immediately, his eyes cautious. I smiled encouragingly and wrapped my arms around him lightly. Within minutes he was asleep.

I had just closed my eyes when there was a light knock on the door. Wondering if Esme wished to give me instructions on how to sleep with her son, I got up very carefully and opened the door.

It was Jasper. Looking sinful in a pair of dark grey sleep pants. My eyes were glued to his bare chest. Then he cleared his throat.

"Like what you see, Bella?" I looked up to find him smirking at me confidently.

Edward gave a soft snore. It broke the spell Jasper's presence had cast upon me.

"What do you want, Jasper?"

"I see Eddie boy is asleep. Did he even give you a goodnight kiss?" His tone was taunting.

"That is none of your business. Now go away and leave me in peace."

He grasped my free hand and began to rub it sensuously.

"But how can you be at peace, Bella? You know he can never love you like a man. Are you going to spend all your life remaining a virgin?"

I gasped at his frankness. He responded by pulling me closer.

"Come to my room, Bella. You may have married the wrong man, but I can at least give you the right honeymoon."

* * *

End Note: Phew, this chapter just grew and grew! And that is why it comes a day late.

So, what do you think Bella is going to do? And is Jasper audacious or what?

What kind of posters did you have in your room at twelve?


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry,sorry! But something at home demanded my attention, plus my mind was being pulled in two different directions as to how this story should proceed. Now that I have resolved the dilemma, things should move faster!

SM owns everything 'Twilight'. I own copies of the four books, DVDs of the four movies, and am still waiting for the DVD of 'BD-2' to be released here!

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Chapter-4

I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted.

Here was the man I loved, vowing to share a slice of heaven with me. Well, at least I imagined it would be something like that. My eyes ran up and down his sinewy body, just begging to be touched. His hands began to stroke my back, and even through the thick cotton of my tank top I could feel the heat spreading through me. Then they touched the bare skin of my shoulders, and I shivered with an unknown pleasure.

"Bella?"

I jumped back, the fog of lust surrounding me dispersing suddenly. The bedside lamp flipped on. I looked at a sleepy Edward, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Jasper gave a low growl of frustration.

"Hi Jasper," yawned Edward without bothering to cover his mouth. "Were you scared to sleep alone?"

Jasper glared at him.

"Why would I be scared?"

"Well, you used to sneak into my room sometimes, when you thought there were monsters under your bed. Then you asked me if you could sleep in my bed, and I always said 'yes'. Even though sometimes you wet my bed—"

"I was five then!" yelled Jasper, completely red-faced. I tried to suppress my giggle and ended up with an indistinct snort. It did not improve Jasper's temper.

"What is funny about that?" he demanded. I shook my head hastily, pressing my lips together to avoid any more noise escaping my mouth. I also noticed that any excitement I might have been feeling over Jasper's abs had disappeared. Evidently imagining him as a scared five-year-old killed my…adult feelings.

Behind me I could hear Edward laughing his head off. Evidently he had no qualms in letting Jasper know that he found the whole thing hilarious. I thought he would rouse the whole family with his laughter.

Jasper gave both of us a good-sized final glare. And the, for the second time that evening, he marched off in a huff.

I shut the door and turned towards Edward. I wanted to laugh along with him, but thought it wouldn't be right.

"Edward, that was unkind. You should not be laughing at someone over something they did as a child."

He gave me a strange look, as if asking what was wrong with that.

"No?"

"No. He could not help it, you know?

"Okay." He shrugged, unconcerned. "Can we sleep now?"

I sighed. He probably could not understand why Jasper was embarrassed. As soon as I was under the covers he cosied up to me and buried his nose in my neck.

"Bella, you smell so nice, like warm vanilla custard."

"Thank you Edward, you smell nice too."

"Like the monster cookies?"

"Um, more like ginger cookies, I think. Sweet, but a little spicy too, you know?"

I could feel his smile on my skin.

"Mom makes giant ginger cookies too. I like them!"

It seemed Esme did a lot of baking. And cookies were the way to Edward's heart.

"Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella."

I slept well. When I woke up, very early in the morning Edward was spooning me, his lips soft on my neck. What was definitely not soft was the something that was poking my shorts-covered ass.

"Bella." He groaned as he rubbed it against me. Suddenly he froze. Then he jumped up as if electrocuted and sprinted to the bathroom, leaving me cold.

I sighed. For a second there he had almost sounded like the man he was, age-wise. I knew boys sometimes woke up with a 'wood'. But did he know how to take care of it?

When the shower started in the bathroom, I realised that he did. Someone must have told him what to do about it, maybe Emmet.

I didn't want to embarrass him when he returned, so I pretended to be fast asleep, my face half-buried in the downy pillow. The bathroom door opened almost soundlessly and Edward slunk in the room and under the covers. Gently he put his arm around my waist, dropped a hesitant kiss on my head and went to sleep again. Enjoying his soapy, clean smell, I closed my eyes too.

When I got up at a more reasonable hour, Edward had already changed and brushed. When I had done the same, with the addition of a quick shower, we went down for breakfast.

I had been in the Cullen kitchen a couple of times while hanging out with Rose. It was a spacious room that would have been overwhelming if it didn't give such a homey vibe. The creamy walls and the large window in the back wall made it look light and airy, and the light brown wooden cabinets and kitchen island welcomed the guests warmly. The pots and pans shone with cleanliness. And it was always full of delicious smells. For a girl like me who loved to eat but had never cooked a thing, it was nothing less than heaven.

Evidently breakfast was an important meal of the day for the Cullens. The top of the semi-circular island was groaning with dishes. I spied omelettes, waffles with fruit, pancakes, muffins and sausages. There were a jug full of freshly-squeezed orange juice and a flask of hot coffee. The various aromas made me salivate in anticipation.

All eyes were upon us as we entered the kitchen. Esme and Carlisle of course, then Rose and Emmet, Jasper, and a few guests who had stayed overnight because either they had a long drive to make or a flight to catch. Mrs Cope, the Cullens' cook-cum-housekeeper, was busy at the stove, with Esme helping her. Carlisle was asking his guests if he could get them more coffee or juice.

"Mom!" Edward's enthusiasm to greet his mother had not lessened in any way. By the way Esme returned his hug, I didn't think she minded.

"What would you like for breakfast, sweetie?" she asked Edward while giving me a warm hug too. Maybe Edward had the hug/snuggle genes passed on to him through her? It was nice though. I wondered my mother would have done the same, had she been around.

"Are those blueberry pancakes?" Edward asked, licking his lips. Esme smiled and nodded, and he picked up a plate to serve himself. Then suddenly he turned to me.

"Bella, can I get you anything? What would you like?" he asked so sweetly that I wanted to kiss him. Esme, Emmet and Rose smiled, Carlisle merely looked curious, and Jasper scowled slightly.

"Everything looks delicious, Edward. I don't know what to choose. Maybe I will start with what you are having?"

He nodded happily and stacked four pancakes in the plate, poured golden syrup upon them and sprinkled a few extra berries, and handed the plate to me. I thanked him, tasted one and moaned at the yumminess filling my taste buds.

"These are heavenly, Esme. Will you teach me how to make them?"

Esme smiled, pleased.

"Actually Mrs Cope did most of the work, but yes, any one of us can teach you. They are quite simple to make." Then she turned to Edward, who was attacking his own tower of pancakes with obvious enthusiasm. "Edward, please eat slowly. They are not the last ones on the Earth."

Her tone was far from scolding though, and Edward grinned crookedly, making my heart miss a beat. I rubbed my chest absent-mindedly, puzzled.

Jasper scowled some more and took a sip of his black coffee.

"Mom," exclaimed Edward as if he had suddenly recalled something very important. "Can Bella have one of your monster cookies? She would love them!"

Esme looked at him fondly.

"Of course she can, darling. But how do you know she will love them?"

A warning bell seemed to ring in my head, but I wasn't sure of the reason.

"Because she tasted me last night and said that I taste exactly like them—a little bit sweet and a little bit salty. Maybe because I eat so many of them?"

Jasper spit out a mouthful of coffee, straight on Carlisle's pristine white shirt.

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End note: Way to liven up things at breakfast, Edward! ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Hi! Thank you so much for all the favourites and reviews, and saying the last chapter made you laugh. I am still imagining the look on Jasper's face!

'Twilight' does not belong to me, sadly!

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Chapter-5

I had often heard of the phrase 'pin drop silence', but never really understood it. After Edward's impromptu explanation however, there was a moment when all sound and movement ceased, and I wondered if I should look around for a pin. I swear everybody even stopped breathing. It was like we had been playing a game of statues and the music had stopped, leaving us in various inelegant poses.

The next instant Jasper had let fly that 'Titanic'-worthy spit, and the tableau came to life. I could not still speak, having choked on air, but somebody, probably Emmet, boomed out a— "Well done, buddy!" A general smatter of laughter greeted this exclamation.

My face felt as if on fire. Esme was staring open-mouthed at me, though her eyes kept on darting to Edward. Whether she was waiting for him to deny his own statement by yelling 'Gotcha!' or add something more to it, I was not sure. Carlisle had an odd look on his face, half disbelieving, half hopeful. Rose seemed to be trying to suppress a titter. It was Jasper's thunderous expression that forced me to speak.

"Uh, it wasn't like that. It was just his…shoulder—I kissed his shoulder, that's all." All eyes turned to me, making me stammer. I looked at Edward, mentally pleading for him to help me out. Luckily, he did.

"Yes, and then I asked her if it was sweet or salty, and she said both, like cookies. Isn't that nice, Mom?"

Esme let out a breath she must have been holding all the while, probably relieved her innocent boy was still uncorrupted. Carlisle muttered that he was going to change his shirt and left. So did Jasper, saying he had had enough and had some work at the office. The guests made noises about having a flight to catch, or a long drive ahead of them. Edward nonchalantly piled some omelettes and sausages on his plate, having finished his pancake marathon. The boy could certainly eat!

As the room emptied a little, Rose came and sat down beside me. She sipped her orange juice, put it down and smiled nervously, and picked up the glass again. Then she glanced toward Edward.

I wouldn't say that Rose was my best friend or anything, but the fact was, she was my only friend in Forks. Charlie had taken me over to meet the Cullens the same day I had arrived from Chicago. They had welcomed me warmly, and I had liked Rose well enough to respond to her friendly overtures. She didn't have too many friends either. Apparently being a member of Forks' richest family, not to mention powerful, was not conducive to bonding with one's peers. Even though their secret was well-guarded, the Cullens had an aura of being something more than they seemed. The good citizens of Forks had no known reason to not trust them, yet they were the slightest bit wary of them. Calrlisle and Esme were not only socially accepted but also esteemed for all the charity work they did, but nobody dropped in to just chat and have a beer with them in the evening. Edward had been popular at school, but the only close friendship he had formed was with Emmet, in Seattle.

Rose did have one good friend at school—Alice. But as soon as exams were over Alice had been dragged by her quirky parents for a grand tour of Europe. The Whitlocks were probably the only family in the little town who were not dazzled by the Cullens' grandeur. They came from old money, owned plantations and wineries in multiple states and were as eccentric as one could be in polite company without being called crazy. Rose had a sneaking suspicion that Alice was sweet on Jasper, but he had never given any indication in that direction.

With Alice gone Rose had been feeling lonely, and then I had entered the picture. Having been brought up in the lap of luxury, it did not matter to me how magnificent the Cullens' home was, or that the furniture was antique, or their clothes designer. Rose and I passed a lot of time together, and she bashfully narrated to me how she had fallen for Emmet when he had come back with Edward after that horrible accident.

"He was so…caring towards Edward," she had said, her eyes soft with remembrance. "He felt so, so guilty. It had been his idea to go to Florida, you see, and then he had been the one to invite Edward for the lunch. He took off the whole term to stay here. For weeks Edward was afraid of his own shadow, hardly speaking with anybody except Mom and Emmet. He would sleep only with the lights on, and even then he had nightmares. Emmet finally took to sleeping in his room so he could comfort him."

She sighed. "Every day I fell in love with him a little more. Seeing his generosity, his kindness—he was very supportive towards Mom too, you know: she had taken it so hard. I just knew he was the right man for me. Of course I did not say anything then—that was hardly the time to declare my feelings for him. But even when he left for college he would come visit us frequently, and that was when we bonded, playing games with Edward, watching his favourite movies with him. Finally, after many months I told him that I loved him. To my surprise he reciprocated my feelings, and we informed my parents. Fortunately they had no objections, their only condition being that we become engaged as soon as I completed high school. Emmet was fine with that, provided we could wait until he graduated for the wedding."

Of course by then I was already attracted towards Jasper, so I changed the topic to if he had any girlfriend. When Rose understood my reasons for being interested, she was quite pleased at the idea of us becoming sisters someday. When it became clear that jasper enjoyed flirting with me but was not likely to pop the question any time soon, I hatched the brilliant plan to spend the night in his room after Rose's engagement party. She was a little doubtful but eventually agreed to help me in the adventure, knowing he would drink enough to pass out. We even giggled a bit, imagining how would the scene between Charlie and Jasper would go.

I came back to the present to see Rose smiling sadly at me. Edward and Emmet seemed to be having a contest as to who could eat the maximum amount of breakfast from all the dishes that were still left on the table.

"Bella," she said so softly that nobody else could possibly hear. "I am such a horrible friend, am I not?"

Now what had she done? I stared back at her, completely taken with surprise.

"Why would you say that, Rose?"

"I made such a ghastly mistake when you asked for a little help. And now, somehow I feel that my mistake has led to a better conclusion than the one we had planned, that your getting married to Edward is actually preferable than Jasper, because Edward needs you more. But I should not think like this—I should be thinking of your happiness, and not my brother's."

Her voice grew very small towards the end, almost a whisper. I wasn't sure what to say in reply. I looked towards Esme and Mrs Cope, who seemed to be planning for lunch already. When did those two have breakfast? Maybe they ate like birds—a bite here and a bit there and they were done.

"Rose," I said gently, "Jasper is your brother too. Have you thought of his happiness?"

She looked down at her hands, inspecting her nails and mumbling something inaudible.

I frowned.

"What was that, Rose? I didn't catch it."

She looked up, her blue eyes defiant.

"How do you know Jasper loves you? Maybe he was just flirting with you—that's what he usually does with pretty girls."

I sighed heavily. I really did not want to go in there. It was too personal. But I also knew there was no other way to convince Rose.

"He told me that he loves me, while we were dancing at the reception. That's how I know, Rose."

Her eyes widened with shock, but she still did not give up.

"And why did he not declare his feelings earlier? What was he waiting for?"

"He had planned on making some grand gesture—"

She snorted delicately. "Yeah, right. What about after the wedding was announced? There was a week till it took place, wasn't there?"

"He didn't know I had meant to go into his room, Rose. He thought I was in a hurry to marry Edward!"

She shook her head slowly as her fingers played with the cutlery. "There is something not quite right here, Bella. If he loved you so much—"

I have had enough. I stood up, took my dishes to the sink and rinsed them before stacking them in the dishwasher, and asked Esme if I could help with lunch. She smiled and said I should take it easy, being newly married. Meanwhile Edward and Emmet started horsing around in the kitchen.

"Boys," yelled Esme, rolling her eyes. "Go out in the garden if you want to wrestle. How many times have I told you not to caper in here? Shoo!"

They ran outside, laughing, and I followed them, Rose at my heels. Into the large back garden we went, and the boys actually begin to wrestle in the well-kept lawn while I stood under a shady hemlock and watched them. Of course I knew Emmet was Edward's best friend and would never harm him, but it still worried me a bit. Emmet was so…built. I knew he aimed to become a professional fitness trainer, and obviously he believed in 'walking the walk'. Edward had clearly defined muscles, that much I had felt while sleeping together, but he was still lanky, built more like a swimmer than a footballer.

"Don't worry about Edward, he is not a weakling." Rose, obviously. "If at all he gets hurt, it will be emotionally. He trusts everyone too easily, you see."

"What is the matter with you, Rose?" I was getting frustrated with her. Before she was all gung-ho with the idea of Jasper and I getting together, but now she had done a complete about-turn. "Why have you suddenly become so pro-Edward? He is still the same guy he was a week ago."

She looked slightly guilty. "I have been very thoughtless Bella, very unfair. Growing up, he was the best of brothers. I am not saying Jasper was not good to me, but Edward…he always had this big heart, and so much patience for my childish problems. Jasper…" She pursed her lips, "…he can be too self-centred at times. I just never noticed how mean he is to Edward; has been since his accident."

"Even if what you say is true," I replied slowly, "that does not mean that Edward can be a good husband to me. You know his mind is—"

Her eyes blazed. "Edward is not an idiot, Bella. Just because he behaves a little…differently, it doesn't mean he can't have a normal married life. The fact is, he has shown much progress in the last year, and I am sure he will show more, but you have to try. Please Bella, don't give up on him." Her words ended on a pleading note.

I sighed heavily and looked up to the sky, but then my thought process was broken as a jet of cold water drenched me from head to toe. Gasping for breath, I turned my head and discovered Emmet fooling with the garden hose. Both he and Edward were completely wet, and as Edward wrestled for the hose I heard Rose squealing behind me. Then Emmet had it in his hands again and pointing towards me. I looked around in desperation, but the water never reached me. Edward stood right in front of me, blocking the water, his arms stretched out protectively. He was spluttering as he took the full force of the jet, but even then I could make out that he was laughing and yelling—"No, not Bella, not Bella!"

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End Note: So that's it for now! Sorry this is late, but somebody has offered to beta this story for me, and we are still working it out. Anyway, this one is unbeta'd!

A hypothetical question here: Would you prefer Jasper to be an out-and-out villain in this story, or a meanie who is finally reformed? I have thought over both, but have not decided either way. So let me know!


	6. Chapter 6

Hi! Have you checked out the TwiHEAcontest? There are some wonderful stories there. I have participated too, after a sudden bolt of inspiration hit me. Hence no time to work on this story! Oh, and please do not try to guess any author's name in any of your reviews, please.

Hm, most readers want Jasper to be reformed in the end. Even if it happens, it won't be easy, right?

Once again, SM owns everything 'Twilight'.

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Chapter-6

Edward's yells brought Esme running to the battlefield.

"Boys!" she said in a stern voice that stopped all tomfoolery immediately. "Really, what _are_ you two doing? You will catch your death with that cold water! And the girls too—you poor dears! Go inside this moment, all of you, and change into dry clothes. I have a good mind to ground you rascals," she threatened, scowling at Emmet and Edward, who sheepishly turned off the water. Emmet had dropped the hose as soon as Esme had appeared and was trying to look innocent. Fat chance of that!

Surprisingly, Edward's only concern was for me. "You shouldn't have got Bella wet, Em,"he said in a reproachful tone.

"It's—it's okay, Edward," I stammered, although I could feel my teeth chattering with cold. In Forks, summer did not always mean warm and sunny, and today the wind had a slight chill in it. "You are much more soaked than I am. Come, let's dry off and change."

He took my proffered hand readily enough as we dashed to our room. I offered him the use of the bathroom first, as he was dripping all over the carpet, but he dragged me inside with him.

"You are my wife, Bella," he explained as he pulled my full-sleeved Henley over my head, almost choking me as he had forgotten to unbutton it first. "I promised to take care of you in every way."

"But I can take off my own clothes!" My voice sounded funny through the thick cotton. I hurriedly undid the buttons and breathed in relief as the material finally freed my face.

"Please, let me?"

It was impossible to deny those puppy-dog eyes. I shrugged my acceptance. He slipped off his own tee easily. Of course, it had no buttons. Maybe that's why he had not paid attention to mine.

At least my tank top was not difficult to get rid of.

The wet jeans were quite another matter, sticking to my legs as if glued to them. I hurriedly got hold of my panties as he almost dragged them down with the jeans. He lifted my left foot and tugged on the hem, and I lost my balance because I had not taken off my shoes yet.

"Edward!" I yelled as I wobbled dangerously and grasped the only thing in front of me—his shoulders.

"Sorry, sorry, I am really bad at this!" he looked up, grinning. "Here, sit on the edge of the bathtub. It will be easier then."

It was. He untied the laces and took off my shoes carefully, and then the jeans. I would have thought standing in front of him in my underwear would be awkward, but it wasn't. When he wrapped a thick, large towel around me, warm from the rack and began to dry off my hair using another one, I realised it was because he didn't look at me 'that way'. He was just being…a friend.

Still, when he pushed off his jeans unceremoniously, I tried my best not to let my gaze wander below his chest—his very nicely developed chest, with a light smattering of light brown hair…I wondered what it would be like to run my hands all over it.

And then my view was obstructed by a large blue towel. I looked up and something just occurred to me.

"Edward, when we go down for lunch, could you please not mention this to your mother…or anybody else?"

He looked rather puzzled. "Not mention what?" he asked, rubbing his body dry.

"Um, this—how you helped me take off my clothes in the bathroom. It is not necessary to tell people everything you do, even if they are your family, you know."

He looked at me as if trying to read something in my face. "You don't like it."

"It's embarrassing, that's all," I tried to explain without making him feel bad about it.

"Not even to my mom?"

I laughed. "Trust me, she doesn't want to know. It embarrasses her too."

"Oh," he said very seriously, nodding slowly." Okay, in that case, I won't." Then he smiled brightly. "Hey, can I make your sketch like this?"

I blinked. Edward could make my head swim without even trying.

"What, in a towel?"

"Yes, you look so fresh and pretty, with your long dark hair flowing around you, like a mermaid or something. We could turn up the heat so you won't be cold."

Of course I was flattered with his fanciful comparison. What girl wouldn't be?

"Okay, let's do it."

We walked out of the bathroom with matching smiles on our faces, but then I stopped short, causing Edward to stumble into me. His arms circled my waist so I wouldn't fall down.

Standing in the doorway of the bedroom was jasper, his expression a mix of jealousy and rage as he took in our towel-clad forms.

"Bella, I would like to speak to you before I leave for office," he managed to grind out. "And for heaven's sake, put on some clothes. I will be waiting downstairs." He turned to leave.

I peeked at Edward, worried. How would he take it? However, he did not seem to be angry at Jasper having barged in his room uninvited. Perhaps he was used to his family members, and probably Emmet too, stepping in whenever they wanted. Or maybe he didn't give that much importance to privacy.

"Bella," he whispered so loudly I was sure Jasper could hear it across the room. "Is he embarrassed too—you know, because I took off your clothes?"

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End Note: Oh Edward, what do we do with you? :D


	7. Chapter 7

Yes, another chapter! Short and…not sweet—sorry.

Nope, don't own 'Twilight' yet.

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Chapter-7

As soon as I stepped into the hall, Jasper took hold of my arm and dragged me to the library.

The Cullen library was an impressive room. Of generous dimensions and possessing a high ceiling, filled with a plethora of books arranged neatly inside tall cupboards all along the cream-coloured walls, it inspired awe in me. I had never been much of a reader, finding gossiping with my friends and watching the latest movies much preferable than burying my nose in a thick tome. Wasn't it enough that we had to read so many books for the school?

But even to a non-reader like me, this quiet, peaceful room spoke of bigger things than my silly day-to-day life, of past ages and the people who lived in them. However, I very much doubted that Jasper suddenly wished to discuss the merits of some Greek classic or Shakespearean play in there. In fact, I had a pretty good idea that the room was going to be decidedly un-peaceful soon.

He shut the door firmly behind him and turned to me, looking highly indignant. One would have thought that we were a couple and I had cheated on _him_ with Edward.

"What were you doing there, Bella?" he ground out, his mouth barely moving. It was a little scary.

"Um, nothing?"

His nostrils flared in annoyance.

"Then why were both of you naked?"

My eyes must have been the size of dinner plates.

"We were not! How can you say that?" I screeched.

"Not when I saw you, but in the bathroom…"

"We were just drying ourselves off."

His eyebrows scrunched suspiciously.

"Why together?"

I sighed, becoming a little irritated myself.

"Because Emmet and Edward had a silly water fight and Rose and I got caught in it, and then Esme sent Edward and me to our room to change into dry clothes."

"So why did he say that he took off your clothes? Couldn't you have taken them off yourself?"

I rolled my eyes. What was this—Spanish Inquisition?"

"He just wanted to help me, Jasper! You know how childlike he is—he insisted so much—"

"Oh," he raised an eyebrow, and his expression transformed into something else so quickly that I blinked in surprise. "So, if I insisted very much, would you let me undress you?" His hands stroked my cheeks and then slipped to my shoulders, massaging them over the shirt I wore. They felt really good, and I suppressed a moan with difficulty.

"Yes, Bella," he continued in a hypnotic voice, "I can make you feel so much. I can put your body on fire, and then quench that fire. I want to see your eyes darken with lust and your voice turn breathy while you call my name. Come to my room tonight Bella, once Edward is asleep."

His words promised to show me a new world, a world where only senses ruled, and I could not tear my eyes away from his. His hands on my back produced strange sensations inside my body, making my breath speed up. However, Edward's name acted like a bucket of cold water on my hot emotions. I jumped back, shocked by what I had been contemplating.

"I can't do that, Jasper," I stated though my voice had a distinct quiver in it. He looked perplexed. "Edward is my husband, and I have promised him my faithfulness. Even though this was not what I wanted, I can't cheat upon him. It goes against everything I have been taught since childhood."

He sighed heavily. "Even if he can't give you what every husband should give his wife?"

I shook my head, biting my lip in despair.

He pinched his nose, eyes closed. I waited, understanding that he was fighting some inner battle. Finally he opened them, and they were full of determination.

"In that case, Bella," he declared, "you must divorce him."

I believe I stopped breathing for a moment. Divorce Edward?

"Impossible, Jasper. Charlie would kill me, and if he came to know of the reason, you will be next. You know how dead set he is against divorce."

He huffed, clearly frustrated. I could not blame him. It must seem to him that I was being deliberately uncooperative.

"What if Edward was the one who wanted to divorce you?" he asked, frowning in concentration. This time I was the one puzzled.

"Why would he do that?"

"Oh, he wouldn't think of it by himself; I know he likes to play house with you. But perhaps you could help him a bit? You know, plant the idea in his feeble mind?"

"Plant the idea?" I repeated like a moron, while a part of my mind bristled at the word 'feeble'. Edward was innocent, sweet, adorable…but not feeble-minded; no way.

"Yeah," he explained impatiently, drawing out the word and waving his hands as if it would help me understand. "Just…do something that will make him see that marriage is not such a great thing. Argue with him, fight him, and don't tolerate his nonsensical chatter. Let him know how unfair it is to you to be trapped into such an arrangement. Don't feed him a direct line like 'it will make me happy if you let me go', because he will probably tattle to mom. Be subtle, so that it seems to him his own idea."

I stared at him, shocked. Could I really do this? And how would it affect Edward?

Jasper could sense my struggle. "Edward is not your responsibility, Bella. He has his family to look after him, and he will be as happy as he is now. Your father won't be pleased, but what can he do but accept it? And," he paused, smirked and continued, "after a decent length of time has passed; I will approach him and offer to set everything right, feeling guilty for my brother's mistake. Charlie won't say 'no' then—he will be so relieved to have your life back on track again."

He beamed with pride at his brilliant idea. I was still trying to decide between 'yes' and 'no'.

"This will help make up your mind," he murmured, and then kissed me hard. He did not use tongue, but sucked on my bottom lip and then nipped it lightly. I stood stiff as a board while trying to process all the sensations rushing through my body. Then he let me go, looking rather triumphant.

"Think about it, Bella," he whispered seductively as his thumb caressed my lips once. "Just a little effort on your part, and then you will be free of this charade. Now it's up to you. Remember, I am relying upon you to make this work."

He turned on his heel and left me alone in the room. I fell in an overstuffed chair and pulled at my hair, feeling almost dizzy with the contrary thoughts crowded in my poor, confused head.

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End Note: So, did you check out the entries for the HEA contest? I had a hard time voting for the best two, I tell you!


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for your concern regarding Bella. Rest assured, everything will be all right, eventually.

We crossed the hundredth mark in reviews, thanks to all who shared their thoughts with me!

The usual disclaimer applies.

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Chapter-8

Why does love have to be so complicated? Or rather, why does it complicate life so much?

Before I came to Forks, my life was pretty simple. There was school, friends, shopping and vacation trips with Charlie and Sue. I had never thought too much about the future. I studied enough to get satisfactory grades, but I did not bother to go too deep into any subject. I had a good memory that I used to my advantage though, and was mostly able to grasp new concepts easily. Both these factors helped me sail through the school.

The one thing I was sure about was that I loved children. There was something just so…innocent about them. Ever since I remember, I had always been protective of them, especially the ones who got teased or bullied by others. In fifth grade, I once punched a boy who was in my class for pulling a girl's hair whenever the teacher wasn't around. The poor girl wouldn't even complain! I got into trouble for doing that, of course, but to this day I am not sorry for squashing that porcine nose.

There was a time when I had thought I might become a nursery teacher. I wasn't completely sure though, so Charlie suggested that I take a year off and then decide. And then I met Jasper and all my tentative plans flew out of the window, and all I could think about was him. Being with him seemed to me the greatest joy of my life. That in itself might not have been such a problem, if I had not hatched that crazy plan to speed things up and ended up marrying Edward.

And now Jasper had shown me a way out of it; a way that led straight to him. Well, there were a few detours along the way. But was it the right way?

All this thinking was giving me a headache. I decided to go up to my room (how quickly I had come to regard Edward's room as mine!) and see what Edward was doing. Maybe talking with him would distract me a bit.

Strangely enough Edward wasn't in the room. I tried to puzzle my brains over where he might have gone, but it only made my headache worse. Finally I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew was that Edward was gently shaking me awake. I opened my eyes with some difficulty—they seemed to have grown heavier while I had been sleeping. The light in the room was too bright, making me wince. I covered my eyes with my hands and peeked out through a slit between my fingers.

And discovered bright green eyes peeking right back at me. Even though I was lying down, I jumped half a foot in the air.

"Ow!"

The exclamation came from both of us as our foreheads collided. I glared at Edward while rubbing my poor forehead. He was doing the same, but he was smiling.

"Are we playing a game, Bella?"

"No," I croaked. What was wrong with my throat? Thankfully he did not press me for an explanation.

"Come, Mom is calling us for lunch. She is making turkey sandwiches!"

Why was he speaking so loudly?

"Don't want any," I mumbled, wanting to add 'go away'.

Instead of heeding my mental request, he placed his hand on my forehead. It was cool, and I hummed in appreciation.

"You are burning up, Bella," he remarked, sounding truly concerned.

"My head hurts," I whined. God, I sounded pathetic.

"I will go call Mom."

My eyes were closed, but I sensed him moving away. Within minutes he was back with Esme. She didn't say anything, just took my temperature and then gave a small sigh.

"It seems Bella has caught a cold from being soaked earlier."

When Edward spoke, his tone was astonished.

"But Mom, it was only for a few minutes. I made sure to take off her—" His words were cut off abruptly. Confused, I opened my eyes to find him with his hands over his mouth and his head shaking in a 'no'. What in the world was he doing?

Esme must have had the same thought, for the next moment she asked him what did he think he was doing.

He removed his hand cautiously, like something unwanted was going to jump out of his mouth. "Nothing. I am going to say nothing about Bella's clothes. I promised her, and anyway you will be embarrassed to hear it." He nodded, pleased that he had successfully avoided spilling the beans.

Esme pressed her lips together as if trying hard not to smile. She glanced at me as if she didn't know what to make of the situation. I hadn't thought it was possible, but my face felt even hotter.

"You are probably right, sweetheart," she answered Edward, then asked me if I wanted to see a doctor.

"I don't think so, Esme. When I catch a cold it takes a week or so to go away, medicine or no medicine. They just make me sleepy anyway."

Esme nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that happens. Would you like some soup for now, if you don't feel like having a sandwich? Perhaps a few crackers?"

I tried to smile at her, but I am not sure how it came out. "Thank you, that sounds good." And then, because she was being so considerate to me, I added, "I am sorry to put you to all this trouble."

Edward's woebegone face swam in my view as he kneeled before me. "No Bella, I am sorry. You fell ill only because I got into that stupid water fight with Emmet. I shouldn't have."

He looked so sad that I could not help touching his cheek in a comforting gesture. "It is okay, Edward. You didn't mean anything to happen, I am sure. It is just one of those things. Anyway, I will be right as rain in a few days, so don't worry." I coughed a bit towards the end and covered my mouth. No point in transferring my germs to him.

"I will go get that soup for you," he smiled weakly and got up, and went out with Esme.

Edward didn't only bring the soup and some crackers, he insisted on feeding me too, saying it would be difficult for me to manage the heavy ceramic bowl. He was probably right, so I did not argue. A heaviness had stolen upon my body, and I felt as if lifting the spoon to my lips would be too much of an effort. As soon as I was full, I slid down under the covers and closed my eyes.

Before I could slip into full sleep though, I felt Edward kiss my forehead. Then he whispered softly, "I will always take care of you, Bella."

* * *

End Note: And cue the 'aww' moment…The more I write about this Edward, the more I love him. I am such a sap!

By the way, I have nothing against cold medicine; it just doesn't work for me. However, hot soup does! :)


	9. Chapter 9

I am touched by how much love this Edward is getting! As for Bella, the general consensus is that she should take off her rose-tinted glasses fast and see Jasper for what he is.

The usual disclaimer is still in effect!

* * *

Chapter-9

Evidently Edward took his promises very seriously. For the next three days he hardly ever left my side. Well, maybe he left when I was asleep; I wouldn't know about that. But any time I was awake, he was there, taking care of me in some way or other.

He made sure that I had nutritious meals thrice a day. Like most people suffering from a cold, I did not want to eat as all the food tasted bitter and unpalatable. Even Esme asked him to leave me alone a couple of times, but he argued that my body needed the strength to fight the germs.

"I will get you a monster cookie if you finish this chicken salad, Bella," he tried to bribe me when I was on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Of course I gave in. Who would refuse Esme's monster cookie? Not me!

He got me green tea with honey and a dash of lemon instead of coffee, and made sure I took plenty of fluids. He checked my temperature daily and got me an aspirin if it was too high. In all my life, I could not remember anybody taking such care of me when unwell. If I was at school, I would be given medicines and advised to rest. If at home, Sue would pamper me a bit but then leave me alone if I asked her to. I actually did ask Edward not to be around me so much in case he caught the infection, but he smiled and assured me that he had a strong immune system.

Perhaps it was the result of his lavish attention that I began to feel quite human only after three days. The weakness and headache receded, and I actually felt hungry enough to enjoy the blueberry pancakes Mrs Cope had made for breakfast. I asked Edward to pass on my thanks to her.

"I made a special request to her," he admitted shyly. "I remembered how much you liked them on the first day. She will be glad to know that you enjoyed them."

"In that case, thank _you_ too," I said, touched by his thoughtfulness. He really was too good to me. "I have never met a guy as generous as you, Edward. You are truly wonderful."

A hint of pink stole upon his high cheekbones. "It's nothing," he insisted, but he looked pleased. He cleared his throat and spoke again. "Family means taking care of each-other, right? Besides, I…like you." The pink became a shade darker.

Perhaps Edward was moving into the teen phase? If all that I had heard about teenage boys was true, this should be interesting.

"Um, I think I would like to take a proper bath today," I mused. I had been showering daily, of course, but it was a brief, carelessly carried out task. Today I wanted to wash my hair, shave my legs and feel completely clean. "Edward, could I use your bubble bath please?"

"Of course you can!" He all but jumped up and down with excitement. "You just wait here, Bella. I will go and start the water. How hot do you want it?"

"Not too much, just enough to soothe the muscles, you know?"

"Sure."

When the bath was ready he called me in, but the first thing I noticed on entering the bathroom was my reflection in the mirror in front of the door. I shook my head, wondering how did he stand being around me. My hair resembled a bird's nest than anything else, my eyes were bloodshot, my face sweaty and gross. On top of it all, I was sure that I breathed noisily while sleeping because of a blocked nose.

"Bella, are you all right?"

I blinked and looked at Edward. He looked worried, no doubt because of my staring contest with my own reflection.

"Sorry, did you say something? I got a bit lost there."

He smiled, relieved. "I asked you if you wanted some help washing your hair. I can wait outside while you get in the tub."

My automatic response was 'no, thank you', but then I realised it would be actually a good idea. My hair was long and thick, and washing it properly required some effort. And I suddenly felt tired just from the few steps I had taken to the bathroom. All I wanted to do now was to sink in the amazing-smelling purple bubbles filling the beautiful claw-footed bathtub.

"I would appreciate the help, Edward. I don't think I will be able to do a good job on my own."

He nodded and stepped out, closing the door. I took off my clothes and threw them in the laundry basket. How is it that even our clothes begin to smell of the sickness we have?

The hot water felt divine, and I gratefully immersed myself in the fragrant bubbles until only my head remained out. Then I called to Edward.

He sat behind me on a low stool and shampooed my hair thoroughly. His fingers felt so good, almost like receiving a head massage. I moaned quietly. He poured water on my head and then conditioned my hair, detangling it gently. It felt heavenly.

"Your hair is so beautiful, Bella," he commented when everything was done and he had wrapped my hair in a towel. Then he left me alone to finish my bath.

When I finally exited the bathroom, having looked into the mirror and confirmed that I looked much better, I found that Edward had changed the bedclothes and removed the breakfast dishes. Also, Jasper was there, leaning against the open door and chatting with Edward.

My heart skipped a beat—he looked so handsome standing there, with that devil-may-care smile lighting up his face. I wished I had dressed in something smarter instead of sweatpants and a tee, but they were comfortable, and how was I to know Jasper would be waiting for me? He had not visited me even once in the last three days!

The last thought brought a frown to my face. When Jasper noticed me and turned on his charm, asking me how I was and adding in the same breath that I looked well, I could not muster the same amount of enthusiasm in my reply.

"I am all right, Jasper," and then, because I wanted to make him jealous, I added—"Edward has been taking very good care of me. Usually I take at least a week to recuperate."

His smile fell instantaneously. But I was not quite finished yet.

"Esme and Rose have been in and out, so there was no chance to get bored. Even Carlisle came and asked about my health once, but this is the first time I have seen you here."

Esme and Rose had paid me brief visits, trying to cheer me up, even playing Uno with Edward and me when I had a little energy. Carlisle's visit might have been out of a sense of duty, but I had not expected more. I had barely exchanged two words with him before the wedding, so we didn't really know each-other. But Jasper…his absence had rankled.

He looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Um, Bella…actually I wanted to visit you, but…" He rubbed his face with both hands and continued, "I…damn, this makes me sound such a sissy…"

Edward helped him out. "He catches infections very easily, Bella. Today I saw him at breakfast and assured him that it is okay to see you, so here he is."

Even if that was true, I could not help thinking that he could have just stopped outside the room and said hi at least. When I answered, my tone was the tiniest bit snappy.

"In that case you had better not linger, Jasper. I am sure I am still carrying enough germs to infect you. And in any case, you must have lots to do at the office; meetings to attend, decisions to make. I will see you later."

His expression wavered between indignation and smugness, as if he could not decide whether I had just insulted him or praised him, but it finally settled on the later. He even cleared his throat rather pompously.

"Well, yes, I do have a lot of work. You know, Dad relies on me so much where important decisions are to be made. Now that Edward is unlikely to help him with his business…"

"Jasper!" I hissed, my eyes wide at how utterly insensitive he was being. A quickly stolen glance at Edward showed that he had understood perfectly what Jasper was hinting at. For the first time since I knew him, I saw him truly upset. At that moment I wanted to strangle Jasper.

"I am sorry Jasper," he mumbled, looking crestfallen. "If I was better, you wouldn't have had to do everything. But I don't understand this business of Dad's."

Instinctively I took Edward's hand and squeezed it, trying to convey my support to him. "Edward," I said softly, "you are such a talented artist. You don't have to waste your creativity sitting in some stuffy office doing silly calculations and signing papers. Anybody can do that." I glared at Jasper for good measure.

He seemed to get it quickly. "Yes, of course Edward, Bella is right. Business is boring anyway. Your hobby is much more interesting. Um, okay then, bye." And he scampered off in a hurry.

Did he have to put his foot in his mouth so frequently? Hobby indeed! But then I recalled that he had never seen any of Edward's manuscripts. Not that it gave him any right to belittle Edward. After all, dealing in drugs wasn't exactly a noble occupation. Who knew how many lives it damaged on a daily basis? Suddenly I was glad that Edward could not be involved in something so nasty. Of course I would prefer him thinking and behaving like a grown-up, but if it meant being a drug-lord, perhaps it was better for him to remain as he was. At least it kept his soul pure.

* * *

End Note: Bella is having some important revelations, isn't she? And send a big hug to Sweetward—he needs it!


	10. Chapter 10

Some of the readers have very good theories considering this story. Right now, I can neither confirm nor deny them!

Disclaimer: Still the same.

* * *

Chapter-10

"Hey Edward, will you show me your favourite among these?"

I had been rummaging among his books to pass time until we were to go down for lunch. Edward had assured me that he had no problem in bringing the meal up for me, but I wanted to eat with everybody. Of course Carlisle and Jasper wouldn't be there, but Emmet would be joining us. He had gone to Seattle for a few days, and Rose had confided in me the day before that she was looking forward to his return. If her blush was any indication, their reunion was going to be quite something.

It had made my heart ache. Even though Jasper had formulated a plan for us to be together eventually, I was not sure I felt _that_ kind of longing for the day. It would be a change from the present situation, but whether it would make me truly happy I had no idea.

Meanwhile, Edward was sitting at his table, pencil in hand and an open sketch book in front of him. However, he had not drawn a single stroke upon the blank page until now. I thought he looked as if somebody had kicked his favourite puppy in front of him and then ran off with it. I wished I could do something to cheer him up, or at least distract him from Jasper's hurtful words. Maybe talking about his books would work.

He got up immediately and came and stood behind me, his expression brightening a little. He pointed at the comics that took up the whole of the top shelf of the cupboard.

"I have been collecting them for a very long time: I don't even remember when I bought my first comic book, but it was this one."

He pulled out an old edition of Batman with the utmost care and showed it to me. The pages were in perfect condition. There were no corners turned and nothing to show that he had handled them while eating or drinking anything. Suddenly I felt as if I was standing in the church. It was obvious that he revered his books.

"You must have taken very good care of these books," I remarked after he had shown me some more and mentioned something special related to each one.

He nodded seriously. It struck me that he acted much more grown-up while talking about his beloved books. Even his expression was different—more mature.

"I love them; they are the best of friends—never leave me, hurt me or fight with me. And the ones that I received as gifts from my family and friends on various occasions are doubly special, because of the sentiment behind them."

We moved on to the shelf below the top one, which was full of various kinds of graphic novels. I recognised a few characters from Marvel comics, but the others were completely unfamiliar to me.

"I haven't read much of these," I confessed, looking at some that had war stories in them. There were also a few spy tales. I had heard of the 'Watchmen' of course, but never got around to reading them.

"That's not unusual, Bella," he assured me. "Graphic novels are quite different from comics in that they can have non-fiction themes too. Most kids are just interested in the popular comic characters, plus some of these were limited editions. Very few people have them."

"They must be costly."

He smiled wistfully. "I saved my pocket-money for them, and also did odd jobs for Mom, and some neighbours. Any money I got from my grandparents and other relatives also went in the same piggy-bank. I wasn't interested in much else anyway, so it was all right."

I remembered the binders in his dresser.

"When did you begin to write those?" I nodded with my chin in its general direction. We went and sat on the bed, and Edward opened the drawer and fished out one of the binders. It was much slimmer than the others and had a bright red cover. 'How Josh Saved the Trees' was inscribed upon it in neat capital letters.

"This was my first effort," he smiled shyly. "It's not a graphic novel, really; more of a children's story for which I drew a few pictures. We had to do a project on environment, so I did this. I was eleven then, I think."

"What did Esme think of this?" I asked curiously. He had said only Emmet had seen his work. Had his parents not encouraged him at all? "She must have seen it, right?"

This time he laughed, but there wasn't much humour in it. "Oh yes, I was so enthusiastic that I showed it to everybody, even Mrs Cope. Probably the mailman too, and the gardener. Mom and Dad praised it, but when I began to devote more time to my _hobby_ they said that I should focus on studies, and maybe a sport. Something worthwhile, you know. Then Dad tried to discourage me by saying that drawing was sissy. Jasper kept on repeating it for a week!"

I shook my head as I opened the file. So they liked it as a school project but not as a serious pursuit. Big surprise! Parents were the same everywhere, weren't they? Anything that was not career-related, or at least worth boasting about in their social circle, was a waste of time. Charlie even said that my plan to work with children was just a whim. According to him, I didn't need to earn, therefore I didn't need to work. Perhaps it was one of the factors that prompted him to arrange our wedding so quickly. He must have thought being a wife would be enough of an occupation for me.

I could not help admiring Edward's creativity, even as a child. The story was simple, but well-written, and the sketches were beautiful. I smiled as the story unfolded, and when I finished reading it I was beaming. I turned to Edward, who was staring at me anxiously.

"This is such a beautiful, happy story, Edward. I am so proud of you!"

He smiled widely, all earlier mopiness forgotten.

"Really? You think it's good? I didn't have much time…"

"Good? It's awesome! Emmet is right—you _should_ consider getting them published. He is returning today, right? Promise me you will talk with him about it."

"Okay. Would you like to read any of the others?"

"Oh yes, I was reading one of them the other day." I opened it and found the page where I had stopped, and began to read again, paying attention to every riveting detail. Edward sat beside me, his arm around my shoulder, and answered my questions concerning the characters and the progress of the events. It was very pleasant, and I didn't even notice when he began to nuzzle my neck. But when he licked it lightly, I dropped the book and shrieked, startled.

"Edward!"

He laughed. "I am just tasting you, Bella. Did you know that your neck is more salty than your cheek?"

I tried to move away. "Well, don't. I am ticklish."

His face lit up like I had handed him the Lightsaber. I realised my mistake only when he gave a battle cry and toppled me on the bed, his fingers tickling me wherever they could reach. I tried to retaliate, but it was not an easy thing to do while laughing hysterically. Finally I begged him to stop, my eyes teary and my stomach aching with uncontrollable laughter. We lay there panting, our limbs entangled and our cheeks red as apples. It suddenly occurred to me that it felt…nice to have his weight upon me.

I wanted to kiss his full, ruby-red lips, so close to mine as he looked in my eyes. I swear I saw a flash of something like want in them.

And then the door opened with a bang and Emmet rushed in, bellowing happily, "Edward, where are you?"

* * *

End note: Uh, Emmet, learn to knock already! Your friend is married now!

Do you agree with Bella's assessment of parents in general?


	11. Chapter 11

Hi! I have posted my entry for the TwiHEAcontest on my profile. The title is 'The Marshmallow Pizza', and Edward is a vegetarian vampire who makes delicious, unusual pizzas of all kinds. Please read and review it!

I am proud to announce that teamalltwilight is officially my beta now. The first thing she did was to save poor Emmett's name, which I had misspelled every time!

Disclaimer: Same as usual.

* * *

Chapter-11

Have you ever experienced déjà vu?

It was as if the scene from the morning after Rosalie's engagement party was being repeated, except of course that Charlie had been replaced by Emmett. And as I sprung up from the bed and Edward rolled away from me, again nearly falling on the floor, Emmett froze like a cartoon, eyes darting from Edward to me. The next second he turned around and yelled—"So sorry, didn't think! Please carry on!"

He would have left the room, but Edward and I took in his expression, looked at each-other and burst out laughing. Emmett just looked so comical!

He turned back, his expression sheepish but a grin having appeared on his face. He waved his hands as if it explained everything he had done.

"Come in, Em," Edward said, sitting up and still chuckling. "It is all right. I was just tickling Bella, that's all."

Emmett's eyebrows rose as he strode in. He threw himself in the beanbag, having dragged it near the bed first.

"Oh, is that what they are calling it nowadays? It looked something quite different from the door, I assure you."

Edward merely looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head to the right.

Emmett suddenly seemed unsure. "Well, it looked like…I mean…weren't you making out with her?"

"Making out?" Edward sounded like he was testing a phrase in a foreign language.

"Yeah, you know," Emmett floundered a bit, searching for the right words, "like, trying to kiss her?"

I felt my face warm up, but Edward remained unfazed. In fact, he had a 'duh' expression on his face.

"Emmett, "he said as if explaining a complicated algebraic equation to a freshman, "if I had wanted to kiss her, I would have kissed her. What is there to try about it?"

"See," he continued when Emmett remained speechless, "it's like this. Bella, please look at me."

"Huh?" I turned to him, puzzled. Before I could say 'Jack sparrow', he had my face in his hands and had pecked my lips sweetly. However, the kiss was too brief to respond to.

Emmett shook his head. "Dude, you really have to work on your technique," he commented, rolling his eyes.

I cleared my throat, annoyed that I didn't get to kiss Edward back and that Emmett was behaving as if I was invisible.

"I am right here, Emmett."

"Sorry," he smirked, "I will give him some pointers…later on." He waggled his eyebrows for good measure.

He was incorrigible. I changed the topic.

"Emmett, don't you think we should look for a publisher for Edward's graphic novels? They are so amazing!"

His demeanour changed instantly, became more serious.

"Edward has shown you his work? He never does that, not even to his parents."

Technically I had peeked into them at first, but still I did not like Emmett's tone. It was so suspicious.

"That is because they are not interested," I retorted. "They think drawing is a pastime for him, completely unsuitable as a career. I doubt if they are even aware of how talented he is!"

Emmett's tone softened. "You may be right there. I do agree with you that Edward's work should be published, but it's not so easy, you know? Besides, I am not sure what Carlisle's reaction will be."

"Well, at least let us ask Esme about it," I suggested, practically bouncing with excitement. "I am sure she will be more supportive."

Edward had been watching us, his head turning from Emmett to me and back again as if a tennis match was in progress. Then he laughed.

"Dude," he said, rolling his eyes and dragging out the 'oo' sound, "I'm right here!"

"Sorry," both of us muttered, contrite. Really, we were being as bad as his parents, treating him like an ingenuous child.

Rose appeared in the doorway, beaming in Emmett's direction.

"Mom says you have to come down for lunch," she announced in general, and deigned to bestow a sweeping glance upon Edward and me. Apparently we were included in the invitation!

Her lovey-dovey eyes returned to her betrothed. "You said that you were going to work out with Edward," she pouted. So that was how she had let Emmett out of her sight for ten minutes. "If you were just going to talk, why didn't you say so?"

I had never imagined Rose as clingy, but evidently with Emmett she was. What amazed me was Emmett's reaction. Instead of being annoyed, he actually looked guilty!

"Sorry darling," he cooed, opening his arms in invitation. Rose immediately came and sat down in his lap, appeased. I watched open-mouthed as they began to kiss in earnest. When I turned to watch Edward's reaction, I found him studying their actions intently. Finally they separated, probably needing to breathe.

"And that is how it is done, my friend," declared Emmett proudly. Edward nodded seriously.

"We will practice later, okay Bella?"

"Um," was my brilliant reply. The thought of Edward 'practicing' with me gave me strange little flutters in the stomach.

He took my hand in his, and we went downstairs, Emmett and Rose following us at leisure.

Lunch with Esme was…strange.

For the past three days she had visited me with Rose, asked me how I was feeling, sent me meals through Edward, and played Uno with me, but now that I was feeling better—something seemed off. Not that she was rude to me or anything, but her manner was just…different. When she saw us walk into the kitchen, with Edward's arm around my waist, her expression was mostly of relief. However, during the meal I spied her looking a tad scared, just for a second or two. Of what she was apprehensive, I had no idea.

When we were all done eating, Emmett introduced the idea of getting Edward's work published.

"Esme, we should look for a publisher who specifically deals with comics and graphic novels."

She did not look convinced.

"Mom," tried Rose, "it is a good career. Edward will be famous! Have you seen his recent work? Emmett tells me that it's really good—very original."

"I am sure it is," she said, smiling softly at Edward. "Sweetie, will you show me one of your books? I am sorry I never took an interest in them before. I had no idea you were so serious about them."

"Of course, Mom," Edward answered, "I will get one right now."

In a few minutes he was back with a couple of binders, and we moved to the living room. Esme looked at one, with Edward and I sitting with her and Edward answering her questions, while Rose and Emmet took the other. Both Rose and Esme were full of compliments.

"You know," I stated, recalling something a friend of mine at school had mentioned, "nowadays publishers usually accept a manuscript through an agent. I know a girl whose mother is a literary agent, so maybe I should call her? It might help us find the right publisher."

Everybody agreed that it was a good idea. After a few minutes, Edward and Emmett said they were going to work out in the gym room. Rose said she wanted to skype with Alice.

"This is a good time to chat. There is an eight-hour difference, so by now she should be back from dinner. We have at least an hour before she goes to bed."

I asked Esme if she could teach me how to make those famous Monster Cookies of hers. She gave me an incredulous look, but agreed immediately.

Back in the kitchen, we assembled the required ingredients and prepared the colourful gems-stuck cookies, and placed them in the oven to bake. All the while I had a feeling that Esme was trying to say something but kept on biting her tongue. Finally I could take it no more.

"What is it, Esme?" I asked quietly. "Please tell me what is bothering you: it's driving me crazy."

She grimaced slightly. "Okay, in that case I am going to be direct. Bella, why are you being so nice to Edward if you are going to leave him anyway?"

My head reeled. "Why do you think…what do you mean by that?"

"Bella," she said in a rather harsh tone, "I heard you and Jasper talking in the library that day."

* * *

End Note: Uh-oh, talk about awkward.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: SM owns everything 'Twilight'. I am the proud owner of a DVD of 'Breaking Dawn-Part 2'. And Bill Condon's little goodbye speech made me cry. However, I still maintain that the audio commentary by Rob and Kris in 'Eclipse' was the best, simply because Rob was hilarious there!

Unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Chapter-12

Where is the proverbial thunder and lightning when you need them? I would have been happy to be struck by the later at that moment. And the former could have created some distraction—helped me a bit. But no, not even a gust of wind disturbed the stillness of the kitchen. Only the oven made a soft buzzing sound as the would-be cookies shone through the transparent door.

And Esme continued to stare at me, waiting for an answer. The worst part was that she did not even look angry, just…disappointed.

"So, um, you heard…"

"Everything, Bella. I was already there when the two of you entered. Neither of you noticed me, and once you began to talk, I took care not to show myself."

I shifted from one foot to the other, having no idea what to say to her. Lying fluently was not my forte, and in any case she had heard everything for herself. There was no way I could pass off that conversation as innocent, or laugh it off as a misunderstanding on her part.

"What I don't understand is," began Esme when I remained silent, "why did you marry Edward at all if you didn't want to? It wasn't as if anybody forced you!" Her eyes narrowed in speculation and she shook her head in puzzlement. "Why were you in his room that night, Bella? Charlie said that you had taken a fancy to Edward, but that is not the case, is it?"

"I—it was a mistake," I admitted, feeling more miserable than I had in my whole life. I recalled how pleased she had been at the wedding; how she had thanked me. Her eyes asked for further clarification, so I went on doggedly, my voice dropping with every word. "I wanted to hide in Jasper's room, but…"

Esme staggered back as if I had pushed her—hard. Without taking her eyes off me, she moved back and sat down heavily in the nearest chair. Suddenly feeling drained, I grabbed another chair and sank in it.

"You hate me now, don't you?" I asked her almost in a whisper.

She sighed and pressed her closed eyes with the tips of her fingers. When she spoke, she sounded tired.

"I don't know what to say, Bella," she murmured. She opened her eyes then, and they looked tired too. "I don't know where I have gone wrong."

I frowned. "Where have _you_ gone wrong? What do you mean, Esme? This is all my fault."

She shook her head. "You have known Edward only for a few days, Bella. Yes, marrying him when you did not love him was wrong, but I am thinking of everything Jasper said to you in the library. He is Edward's brother! How could he—how could he be so callous? If he wanted to marry you, why did he not say so before the wedding?"

I explained Jasper's reason, that he had believed my decision to be in Edward's room a deliberate one. However, Esme still seemed doubtful.

"In that case, why should he say anything at all after the wedding?" she queried, frowning. "He should have held his tongue if he thought you were happy with Edward. No Bella, this does not sound right. And asking you to come to his room—that was just disgusting. At least _you_ had the decency to refuse that!"

"Oh," I blinked, surprised that she was praising me instead of condemning. "Well, I just could not do that—it would have been so wrong."

"And that shows you are basically a good girl," she smiled, but only for a second. "Bella, are you really going to make Edward divorce you?"

"I don't know, Esme," I sighed, twisting my fingers together on the table. "I am so confused. In the beginning I thought that I loved Jasper and living with Edward would be nothing but a farce, but now I am not so sure. I—I like Edward; he is so sweet and generous. And I am beginning to ask myself if I really love Jasper, or was that an infatuation? The first time a charming guy flirted with me, and I fell for him straightaway! You did know that Charlie never let any boys near me while we lived in Chicago, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I had some idea, from what all Charlie used to say when he visited us. He…he took your mother's leaving him very hard, I think."

"He did," I agreed. "He never talks about her, you know? And we don't have a single picture of her. Sometimes I feel that I never had a mother! Sue has been wonderful with me, but…Maybe I wouldn't have been such a fool, had mom been around."

Esme surprised me again by taking my hands in hers.

"Bella, I am aware that you don't know me that well, and we are in a peculiar situation here. But I want you to know that you can come to any time, talk with me about anything. Okay? Don't feel you have nobody to turn to, for advice or…just to hear you out."

I smiled even as my eyes teared up. She was being so nice to me, even though I had married one of her sons and was thinking of leaving him for the other. Evidently, she understood my dilemma.

"This is such a mess, isn't it?" she said softly. "Bella, even I am not sure what the right thing to do here is. On one hand I would like to ask you to give a chance to Edward—I can see how happy he is with you, even though he may not understand what being married really is. This is as much as a normal life he can have, I guess. On the other hand, the longer you stay with him, the more it will hurt him when you leave him."

"I don't want to hurt him," I blurted out, then apologised for interrupting her.

"It's okay," she smiled rather sadly, "but…just make up your mind quickly, okay? And when you do, don't do…anything that Jasper suggested. Don't make Edward feel inadequate or guilty, _please._ Just come to me and I will…find some way to make him understand that he should let you go. Promise me this much, Bella."

"I promise, Esme, of course I promise."

"There is one last thing, Bella." She took a deep breath and continued, "Don't stay with Edward out of pity, or even a sense of duty. Jasper was right about one thing at least—he does have his family to take care of him. So please, don't treat him as a stray puppy or a charity case: that would be worse than telling him he can't be a proper husband or…anything, really."

At first I could not speak, though I opened my mouth a couple of times. Then, I felt something I had never imagined feeling for Esme—anger. I swallowed so I would not begin yelling at her. When I spoke, I kept my voice level.

"Esme, with all due respect, you are very close to insulting Edward yourself. Have I ever by word or gesture indicated that I think of him as someone to be pitied? Even when I did not know anything about him, when I had seen him only in passing when I came to chat with Rose and hoped to have a word with Jasper, even then I did not pity him. Why should I have? Yes, he had a bad accident and I feel sorry for that, but he is still a wonderful guy—intelligent, warm and incredibly talented. You want people to treat him normally? Then stop treating him like a child. He may be guileless, but if you treat him like an adult, he will respond like one. I realise that as a mother you want to protect him from the world, but please, let him stand on his own two feet!"

My voice quivered a bit towards the end, but I said my piece nevertheless. Esme's expression was that of complete incredulity, followed by hurt. For a moment I thought she was going to cry.

"You think _I_ am stopping Edward from being an adult? You think I don't want him to have a normal life?" Esme wasn't the type to shriek, I guess, always being so gracious, but her pitch was getting close to it. Darn, why did I have to get carried away like that? I could have put my thoughts into better words!

"We got him the best medical care, Bella, flew specialists in here so that they could give us a solution. But nothing came of it! You did not see him then, or you would have known how scared of everything he was! He could not sleep alone for nightmares, so Emmett had to sleep in his room. Can you imagine the terror he must have felt while being imprisoned in a drowning car? The doctors told us that his brain was oxygen-deprived for a few seconds—that is why he went into coma and had memory loss when he finally woke up. He had therapy for months and months so he could be somewhat self-reliant. For weeks he could not speak properly, nor bathe or dress or feed himself! How can you blame me for being protective? You don't know what I have gone through!"

She was nearly panting when she finished her rant. I felt really bad at having upset her.

"Esme," I said as soothingly as was possible for me, "please calm down; I didn't mean to blame you for anything, really. It's just that what little I have seen of Edward—it makes me think that he is being grossly underestimated. You are right—I don't know what you have gone through, and even if you told me I wouldn't understand completely. But I do know that you love Edward and want the best for him, don't you?"

The timer of the oven beeped, and Esme turned around, slipped on her gloves and pulled the tray out. I didn't press her, giving her time to think.

I also noticed that the cookies looked magnificent and smelled utterly tempting. They made my mouth water, even though it hadn't been long since lunch, and I wasn't even hungry. Not to mention that I was stressing out right now, waiting for Esme's response.

When she had arranged them in a rack to cool down, she turned and faced me. Though her eyes were still sad, her chin was lifted with determination.

"Of course I want the best for Edward," she answered, her pose as regal as a queen's. "However, it seems that I have been going about it the wrong way. You think I am mollycoddling him, don't you?"

I tried to choose my words more carefully this time. I had no wish to fight with her, after all.

"I think that Edward is capable of achieving much more than we think," I began, trying to read her expression at the same time. She seemed to be listening carefully, so I continued, "When Rose had informed me that Edward has made great progress in the last year, I did not understand what she meant. But when I think about it now—what is so different about Edward from other people of his age? Yes, sometimes he says things he shouldn't in front of everybody, but otherwise…I don't find him lacking in any way."

Esme raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Uh-huh, what about the physical aspect of the married life?" she asked bluntly.

I was sure I had a full-on body blush; I felt so warm. "It's—too soon for that, Esme. But I am sure he will get it—eventually. Right now it's like he has forgotten, but he likes to kiss and cuddle: that is something." There; I could be blunt too. Even though I might not be the best person for Edward to do the remembering thing with.

"So…your decision to stay with Edward…"

"…has nothing to do with any of this, and everything with how I feel about him. Please Esme, give me some time to figure it out?"

She nodded, and opened her mouth to say something, but right then Edward and Emmett burst into the kitchen, their noses twitching like rabbits.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Edward loudly. 'Freshly-made Monster Cookies! Mom, don't give Em any—he stole mine the last time!"

Esme gave me a brief, amused glance, as if asking—"Are you sure he has grown up?"

I sighed. Perhaps I _was_ getting ahead of myself.

* * *

End Note: So, more details from Esme. And yes, drowning can cause all this, and more.

Do you agree with Bella's assessment, or Esme's?


	13. Chapter 13

Welcome to all the new readers, especially those who read 'The Marshmallow Pizza' in the HEA contest and then came here! And a big thank you to all those who take time to review—they make me feel all gooey and warm inside.

Disclaimer: Still SM's, not mine. But Edward's sweetness is!

Pre-read by the lovely Teamalltwilight.

* * *

Chapter-13

Actually, looking at Edward and Emmett as they argued about the 'stolen' cookie, one would think that neither of them had grown up—after having turned four. How Emmett was going to manage a fitness empire, I could not imagine.

While Esme resolved the issue and handed them two each, with a warning not to step foot into the kitchen until it was time for dinner, I thought, and thought some more.

My feelings for Jasper had always been the gushy kind, I realized. There had been no depth to them, no longing, not even much of a desire to know him inside out. I saw him, liked him because he had that beautiful blond hair and those incredibly blue eyes, and wanted him to notice me. When he did notice me and flirted with me, I wanted him to want me. And since I was well aware that Charlie would only let a man close to me if we were married to each-other, I concluded that I should do something that would make Jasper propose to me. That led me to confiding in Rose and cooking up that brilliant plan of spending the night in his room.

I couldn't believe how stupid I had been.

Had I really imagined that Jasper would be glad of my taking the initiative? Suppose he had not been in love with me? What a horrible situation I would have put him in! Even if he would have married me out of fear, he would have hated me. Our life would have been nothing less than hell. At that moment it had seemed quite the daring act to pull off, but now…now I could see that it was just…selfish of me. I had acted like the spoilt rich girl who had have everything she wanted at her fingertips, and who had to satisfy each and every whim of hers. However, it was time to grow up.

It's true that Jasper had confessed his love for me soon after, and reiterated it multiple times. He had even offered me an out from the marriage I had caught myself in, in a way that would spare me from Charlie's anger. Granted that it was not morally right—but it was perhaps the best plan he could have come up with on the spur of the moment. Really, what other option was there?

Of course there was the question of how genuine Jasper's feelings for me were. After listening to Esme's doubts, I recalled that Rose had voiced something similar a few days ago. How could I decide if they were right, or whether they were merely being sympathetic to Edward. I needed time—to sort out my feelings as well as to discern how true Jasper's declaration was.

Regarding Edward, I was sure of only one thing for now. He was hugely talented, and I was not going to leave him at least until I had brought out that talent into limelight. I owed him that much. If nothing else, it would be my atonement for leaving him—if I left at all.

…

When Edward and Emmett had decimated the cookies, I asked them about their work-out. I had imagined they ran on a treadmill and maybe lifted a few weights, but it turned out that it was a fully systematic program, tailored specifically to Edward's needs by Emmett. Apparently they used to work out together as freshman at the U-Dub, before the accident. After the physical therapy part of Edward's recuperation was over, Emmett encouraged him to take up a fitness plan and stick to it. Gradually he stepped up the intensity and increased the time span, keeping in mind that Edward was not exactly aiming for the WWE.

"Even though I had to go back to school, Edward kept at it regularly," declared Emmett proudly as we convened in the family room. As opposed to the majestic drawing room, this room was painted in warm colors, with a matching décor. It still screamed designer, but it did not intimidate. The furniture was sleek and modern. The sofas were comfortable, and the two lounge chairs invited one to loll around in them. Plenty of natural light came from the large windows, and the door opened to a large kidney-shaped swimming pool outside.

Of course there was the obligatory flat-screen TV on the wall, although this one was huge. Evidently the Cullen siblings were fond of video games, for I spied quite a few systems nearby- X-Box 360, PlayStation3 and Wii—not to mention the vast display of games. They were set, for sure. Emmett immediately proposed a game of my choice, but I declined. I had tried playing several and I knew just how bad I was at them. He then informed me that the basement had been converted into a mini-gym, where he joined Edward whenever he visited Forks.

I agreed that it was important to have a regular workout, and Emmett generously offered to design one for me. He assured me that he would plan it in easy steps so I would actually enjoy the exercise. When I agreed hesitantly, pointing out that I was scared of the treadmill because the one time I tried it I had fallen off, he grinned wickedly but promised it would not happen again. Edward also promised, but he looked much more solemn. It gave me some confidence.

I was given a tour of the basement, and I told them that 'mini-gym' was an understatement. There were all sorts of machines and weights, so clean and well-maintained that the place looked like a professional training center. I was truly impressed.

When we returned to the family room we found Rose back from her visit. She proposed that we go for a swim as the weather was nice and warm.

I hesitated. Although my symptoms had alleviated, I felt tired. Perhaps all the emotional talk in the kitchen had exhausted me, or I had not yet recovered fully from the flu. Edward immediately agreed with me when I said I wanted to take a nap.

"You have done enough for the day, Bella," he concurred, nodding briefly. He then took my hand and guided me upstairs, having first made sure that I did not need to be carried. Once we were in our room, he practically tucked me in the bed and sat beside me, stroking my forehead and hair gently. I think I fell asleep in less than a minute.

* * *

End Note: I know it's short, but breaking off here seemed right. I am planning (at my beta's suggestion), a movie night for our couples. What do you think will happen?

The word 'stolen' is a shout-out to a story I am reading right now—by the amazing Rochelle Allison. If you haven't read her, you are missing a lot! Go check out her stories and tell her I rec'd her.


	14. Chapter 14

We crossed the double-century mark in reviews. Yay! Thank you, my sweet readers and reviewers!

Disclaimer: SM owns everything 'Twilight'. I own a cupcake with yummy blueberry-vanilla frosting from MOD—for now!

Pre-read by TeamAllTwilight.

* * *

Chapter-14

When I woke up, I felt refreshed and even energetic. I looked around and found Edward at his table, sketching. When I yawned and stretched myself, he quickly shut his book.

"What were you sketching, Edward?" I asked, intrigued. He shook his head, looking bashful.

"Come on, show me. Please?" I sat up on the bed and gave him a puppy-dog look, or at least tried to. It seemed to work, for he came to me and extended his hand so that I could take the sketchbook.

"Um, just…don't be angry, okay?"

I looked at the open page, reassuring him at the same time.

"Of course I won't be—oh!"

He had sketched me as I must have looked while sleeping. I knew I always clutched a pillow to me before going to sleep, and that I always slept on my left side. What I had never imagined was that I could look…so ethereal. For that was how he had presented me. My hair was longer in the picture, falling on my visible shoulder in graceful waves and curling around my waist. My expression was serene, and the slight smile on my lips said that I was having a happy dream.

"Wow," I whispered, completely bowled over by the picture and Edward's imagination. Of course I already knew how talented he was—but all those pictures were just…characters. This one was me—a real human being, but better-looking. No, not just better-looking, but also somewhat unreal.

The sound of a throat being cleared nervously drew my attention to Edward, hovering around me with uncertainty written large on his face. I took his hand and made him sit beside me. His eyes were wide with waiting.

"Edward, this is…I don't know what to say: this is beyond amazing. You have made me so beautiful and fairy-like!"

His smile lit up his whole face, so pleased did he look.

"You are beautiful, Bella, and this is how I see you. To me you seem as if from some other world, come here to make my life better. I…" He bit his lower lip shyly. I had a momentary desire to free it from his perfect teeth and bite it myself. Then I chastised my mind and ordered it to focus.

"I used to watch you when you came to visit Rose, you know."

I blinked in astonishment.

"Really?"

He rubbed the back of his neck in a gesture of embarrassment.

"Yes, you were always laughing and talking, and looked so happy, so carefree. I never imagined you would even look at me, let alone marry me."

"Oh." It was a stupid response, I suppose, but I couldn't think of anything to say. Obviously I couldn't tell him that I didn't mean to marry him! On the other hand, I couldn't exactly gush about my feelings for him either. I took the coward's way out and changed the topic.

"Um, Edward, I would like to call Bree now."

Something like disappointment flashed in his expressive eyes.

"Bree?"

"Yes, my friend from the boarding school—the one whose mother is a literary agent. Remember I mentioned her in the afternoon?"

"Yes, yes of course. So…what are you going to ask her?"

"I think a literary agent will know the right publisher for your type of work, so I will ask her if her mother can take you as a client, or recommend somebody to us. Is that all right?"

"Of course. I, um, will just see what Em is up to, okay?"

I felt puzzled but shrugged it off. I found my phone and scrolled to Bree's name.

Bree was excited to hear from me, and even more excited to discover that I was married. She teased me, saying I must be head-over-heels in love to be in such a hurry.

"So what is he like, your Edward? Did he have any trouble convincing your father? I recall you saying he never allowed any boys to befriend you."

"You are right, he didn't," I mused, wondering how much I could tell her. Bree and I got on well while at school, but…how I married Edward was a story not meant for anybody outside the family. And even within, not everybody knew the truth. I decided to keep it short and as close to the truth as possible.

"But Edward is very sweet and…a really good guy, so my father didn't mind much. And he is very talented—"

"Ooh, talented, is he? Tell me Bella, is he more talented with his fingers, or his tongue?"

"Bree!" was my choked response, while she guffawed in a very Emmett-like fashion.

"All right, all right, keep your secrets. You were never one to discuss personal matters anyway. But at least tell me where are you going for your honeymoon?"

"Um, well, we haven't decided yet," I stuttered, then rushed on before she could think of any more awkward questions. "Listen Bree, I need a favour from you. Your mom is a literary agent, right?"

"Yes, she is. Why?" She sounded puzzled.

"Well, Edward writes graphic novels—he is terrific at sketching—but he hasn't tried to publish them as yet. Can your mother take him as a client, or at least recommend someone else we can approach? Because none of us has any idea how to do this, you know."

"Hm, I will ask my mother, of course, but Bella, she will probably want to see his work before she decides anything. So be ready to make a trip to Chicago, okay?" Before I could process that, she added that she would call me in a few minutes and disconnected with a cheery 'bye!'.

A trip to Chicago—I suppose I should have been more excited at the prospect of returning to the city I had considered home for so many years, but I wasn't—not really. Suddenly I had a sense of belonging to Forks, this tiny town with a population that would fit into one of Chicago's suburbs. It was a strange feeling.

Bree did call before even five minutes had passed. Her mother was interested, she said, and of course she wanted to meet Edward and see his work before promising anything. The good news was we didn't have to go all the way to Chicago for it.

"Mom has to go meet this important client who lives in Seattle, because he is too old and feeble to travel that much. So if you people could meet us there, it would be great."

"That's a really good idea, Bree. So you are coming with her? You did say 'us', didn't you?"

"You bet I am! I want to see this guy who impressed your father enough to let you marry him, after all. I will let you know the details, but it will be probably this weekend."

We said our byes and I went to find Edward, feeling rather pleased at the outcome. I wasn't sure if Esme would even let Edward travel to Chicago, but Seattle had to okay. Right? It was just four hours by road, and Emmett and Rose could accompany us.

They were in the game room, shooting down terrorists in some game called 'Call of Duty' and yelling their heads off. When I saw how engrossed they were I quietly took a seat behind them and waited.

Finally Emmett gave a triumphant whoop and declared that he had won. Edward and Rose conceded, though not very gracefully. As they stood and stretched their limbs, both of them noticed me. Edward immediately apologised for not seeing me before, but I waved it off.

"It was quite engrossing," I commented, adding, "I can see the appeal, finally. Anyway, I have some good news."

Emmett pretended to be astounded, widening his eyes comically and asking how was it possible for me to know this soon. Rose whacked him on the head, while Edward merely looked confused. I just rolled my eyes in response.

"Remember I mentioned a friend whose mother is a literary agent? Well, her name is Bree and her mom's name is Vera. I called her just now, and Vera wants to meet you (I nodded to Edward) and see your work. And the best thing is—she is coming to Seattle for some work anyway, so we can just go there instead of going all the way to Chicago! Isn't that great?"

Emmet cheered loudly and Rose joined him, but Edward remained silent, his forehead wrinkled in thought. I was reminded of his expression when I had told him that I was going to call Bree.

"Edward, what is the matter?" I asked, worried that I was steamrolling him. Perhaps he preferred to keep his work to himself and had no desire to publish? In that case I would never force him.

He looked uncomfortable, glancing at Emmet and Rose without turning his head and then back at me. Fortunately, Emmett got it and dragged Rose outside, giving us some privacy.

I sat beside Edward and took his hands in mine. They were slightly sweaty, and when I looked at him carefully, I noticed that there was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead too. He was definitely nervous.

"What is it Edward?" I spoke as one would to a startled deer, ready to run away at the first abrupt movement. With his widened eyes he certainly resembled one. But there was something else too. Shame, perhaps?

"I can't go to Seattle, Bella," he said in such a low voice that I had to lean forward to hear him. "I—I am afraid."

"Why, Edward?" I lowered my voice too, even though I had no reason to. It just…felt right. "You must have been to Seattle before, haven't you? It's quite near Forks, after all."

He shook his head. "Not that I remember. I mean, I have been told that I studied there, at the U-Dub, but…"

I frowned as something clicked in my brain. "Does that mean…haven't you been to Seattle since your accident?"

He shook his head again. A dreadful suspicion began to creep into my mind. Still, I kept my voice even.

"Edward, have you been to any other city in the last one year, after your physical therapy was complete? Port Angeles, or maybe Olympia?"

A slow head shake from Edward as he finally looked at me, his eyes pleading. "I haven't been anywhere, Bella, not even inside of Forks."

* * *

End Note: Yes, I know that it is not necessary to meet the agent, but let's assume so for this story, okay? As for the movie night, it's coming in the next chapter—this one just ran away with other ideas.

Any movies you might want them to watch? Nothing too raunchy though—remember Edward is sort of re-learning everything. Kasi and I were thinking 'When Harry met Sally' and 'Big'…


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you for your comments and suggestions! Without further ado, let's see how their evening turns out.

Disclaimer: The usual, and the movies mentioned do not belong to me either.

Pre-read by the ever-patient TeamAllTwilight.

* * *

Chapter-15

I tried not to react too much, but I still drew in a breath sharply. He had been housebound since his accident? No wonder he had balked at the proposal of leaving the town.

He looked at me somewhat apprehensively. "Are you angry with me, Bella?"

I blinked in surprise. "No Edward, why would I be angry with you?" Then I continued so as to reassure him—"I was just wondering what could be the reason for you not leaving the house earlier. Did you not want to, or were you advised not to?" I kept my tone as light as possible. The last thing he needed was to make a big deal out of it.

He frowned. "Well, in the beginning I was not confident—I had to have physical therapy to even walk around the house and use the stairs—going out just didn't occur to me. Then the doctor asked my parents to keep me in familiar surroundings, so…" He smiled faintly. "Maybe he did not mean that I should never leave the house, but I felt most comfortable here, and there was no particular reason to go out. I had everything I needed, my shopping I could do online, and Emmett was the only friend I cared to see." He stared at his interlinked fingers and then back at me, apparently making up his mind. "Finally it became a habit, although I kept on telling myself that one day I would go out of the house, of the town, maybe even country. But right now…Seattle seems as alien as Mars."

This was not so bad. I rubbed his hands lightly, smiling encouragingly. "So you do want to go, but you are not sure whether you will be comfortable there?"

He nodded, seeming relieved. "That's exactly it—I…Bella, I am not at all sure how will I react to all the crowd there, and then…it's so _noisy_ there." His nose wrinkled in distaste. A giggle escaped me at his petulant expression.

"You know Edward," I said slowly, recalling something from my freshman year, "I didn't like Math in high school."

"Okaay," he replied as slowly, most probably wondering what my dislike for Math had to do with his dislike for Seattle. I hastened to explain.

"Every time we had a test in Math, I would get stressed out because I didn't want to fail in it. I mean, I was never head of the class or anything, but I did fairly well in other subjects. When I visited home for Thanksgiving, it all came out over the scrumptious dinner Sue had prepared.

Charlie has always been a man of few words. He listened to me whine for a while and then stated quietly, "You know Bella, if you spent more time preparing for the test and less time complaining, you wouldn't have to worry about it so much."

His words seemed harsh to me then, but when I thought over his answer for a day or two, I realized that it was the most practical solution possible. Obviously I didn't suddenly become an A-grade student of Math—in fact, I never did—but it worked in that I stopped freaking out. At least I knew that I had done what I could, and more than that was almost impossible for me. And then there was the sense of satisfaction after the test—that was a nice feeling!"

Edward had been gazing at me the whole time as if I was revealing the greatest mystery that Life ever proposed to man. Finally he unwrinkled his forehead and spoke.

"So you think that if I prepare myself for this trip, I will have fewer problems there?"

"_We_ will prepare for this trip, together," I corrected him. He beamed. "Maybe we should start small—go on a double date with Emmett and Rose? Is there some place in Forks we can spend an evening doing something enjoyable?"

"Hm, that is something to think about," he admitted. "Of course, Forks doesn't offer too many choices, but…I suppose we can ask Rose what she did for fun in high school."

I wanted to ask him if he remembered high school at all, but wasn't sure how to put it in words so he wouldn't feel bad. But then Rose took the matter out of my hands by knocking on the door softly and peeking inside.

"Hey, everything okay?" she asked, and I could see Emmett hovering behind her as well. I waved to them to come in.

Edward explained to them his doubts and the solution I had given. Both Emmett and Rose nodded enthusiastically, and Rose listed the handful of options Forks provided. Apparently there was the diner, the beach, a few picnic spots in the woods, the drive-thru and the youth club where indie bands played sometimes. She also suggested that Edward should just get used to stepping out of the house—either alone or with one of us. Emmett asked if we could have a movie night at home first— to break Edward in, so to speak. Edward looked amused but readily agreed.

At dinner I watched Esme discreetly, and I was happy to see that she was trying to treat Edward more like a grown-up—not fussing over him too much, for one—and showing real interest in his future plans instead of just indulging him. Carlisle did not speak much, but he seemed glad when Edward talked of going out of the house. Esme seemed wary, but at least she did not try to dissuade him. Jasper did not join us for dinner, having some plans with his friends.

After we had helped in clearing up the dining-table and loaded the dishwasher, the four of us went into the family room. Then we had the all-important discussion—which movies to watch. We had plenty to choose from, that was for sure.

Edward voted for 'The Gods Must Be Crazy', Rose for 'When Harry met Sally', Emmett wanted to watch 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' (after 'The Hangover' was declared completely unsuitable by Rose and me), and I picked 'Big', for obvious reasons.

Emmett being the big baby he was, insisted that his choice be screened first. Rather than argue, we gave in and settled in the comfy sofas, with bowls of popcorn and nachos in front of us.

The movie had us in splits, of course. I could not help noticing how close to Rose Emmett was sitting on their double seat sofa, and how Emmett's arm encircled her shoulders. By the end of the movie it was around her waist. As 'The Gods Must Be Crazy' progressed, I saw Emmett's hand occasionally disappear inside Rose's shirt. Most of her side of the sofa was left vacant as she moved closer to her fiancé. It made me feel somewhat wistful.

All of us laughed like loons at poor Doctor Steyn's antics whenever Kate was around, right from their first meeting and their disastrous journey in the broken-down car. Edward took my hand and squeezed it, and his eyes widened with something like curiosity while Kate tried to change behind a bush and got stuck in the briar patch, and Andrew had to help her out. When they shared a kiss at the end of the movie, Rose and Emmett did as well. Edward stroked my hand and told me how soft my skin was.

Sometime during 'When Harry met Sally' Rose shifted to Emmett's lap. I think Edward was puzzled by the lead pair's many meetings and then going their separate ways. At the end of the movie, he asked me why it took them so long to get together.

"Because they didn't know how right they were for each-other," I explained.

He mulled over it for a bit.

"What was she doing in the diner?"

I frowned, thinking back. "What do you mean?"

"When she was making all those weird noises, and everybody was looking at her," he clarified.

Emmett guffawed. Rose tittered. Then they got up and said they were going to bed as the movie I had chosen was meant for kids like Edward and me.

"You explain to him what she did, okay Bella?" Emmett threw over his shoulder from the doorway, the traitor. I wanted to make a rude gesture, but then I would have to explain _that_ too to Edward, who was gazing at me with expectation written on his face. I ransacked my mind for a suitable answer.

"Um, Edward, how about we see 'Big' first, and then talk about this? Otherwise it will be very late and we will fall asleep before the movie ends."

"And this was the movie you chose Bella," he agreed considerately, adding that everybody else already got their turn, so it was fair that I did too. We put on 'Big' and got lost in it, though I sometimes stole glances at Edward to observe his reaction. He seemed to be really into it.

"That's how I feel sometimes, Bella," he murmured as we watched a newly thrust-into-adulthood Tom Hanks struggle with 'real life'. I ran my fingers through his unruly hair, making him sigh.

"How do you mean, Edward?"

"Lost. I feel lost, Bella, like my body is too big for my brain, like it belongs to someone else. Sometimes I feel as if I used to know that other person, or maybe I _was_ him—in a distant past. But I have no idea how to reconcile what I am now to what I used to be. It is very confusing."

To an extent I understood what he meant, yet I had no solution for him. I could only soothe him for the moment.

"We will figure it out, Edward," I promised, as much to him as to myself. Suddenly it was the most important task in the world—I wanted to see Edward not just successful, but also in tune with himself. Maybe it was time to see another counselor or somebody.

On the screen Josh got a job, endeared himself to everybody and finally had his first romantic encounter. Edward seemed fascinated, his mouth slightly open.

"I think he liked touching her boobs," he announced suddenly, making me jump. I recalled he had made a similar comment in front of Charlie.

"Edward," I began hesitatingly, "the first morning when I was in your bed…you said something about my…breasts—did you really, you know, touch them?"

His forehead wrinkled. "Yes, over your dress: we were sleeping so close, you know? Like this—see." And he pushed me back a little and nuzzled my neck softly. My arms went around him instinctively. How did he smell so good all the time? And why did it feel so good to be close to him? Not in a wild thrilling way, but just…right, safe, _home_. It was like I had known him before.

I stroked his back, feeling the lean muscles under the soft cotton of his shirt. He traced my jawline with his nose, and then his lips were upon mine in a sweet, soft kiss. My tongue sneaked out and licked his lower lip, tasting the light, lingering flavor of the popcorn. In response, I felt him shudder slightly and open his mouth, and then his tongue touched mine tentatively, as if asking for permission. And then we were French kissing, still keeping it gentle, exploring each-other's mouth even as our hands explored the accessible span of skin. Edward pulled me closer until I was straddling him, and we moved, creating friction where it felt oh-so-good. The combined feeling of his hands and his mouth and the friction our movement produced made me tingle all over, and then I was flying, as weightless as a leaf in the wind.

Until Edward abruptly pushed me away, mumbled something incoherent and ran out of the room looking distressed. I felt like I had made a hard, unexpected landing. What was wrong with him?

On the huge flat screen, Josh reverted back to his thirteen-year-old self, leaving his girlfriend of a few days staring at him sadly, and ran inside his home, shouting—"Mom!"

* * *

End Note: Yeah, so that's it. Was this what you expected, or completely different? Let me know!


	16. Chapter 16

Yeah, so most of you guessed Edward's little 'problem' fairly correctly. Poor guy, what else could he have done? ;)

Thank you to all the reviewers and readers, and those who have put me on alert and favorite!

Disclaimer: SM owns everything 'Twilight'.

Pre-read by TeamAllTwilight. She is the epitome of promptness.

* * *

Chapter-16

I switched off the TV and sat there for a few minutes, trying to figure out what had just happened between Edward and me. Had I scared him in some way? It's true that I had introduced tongue into our otherwise chaste kiss, and that alone must have been a new and perhaps strange experience for him. Although I was sure that he had enjoyed it, considering his response. And then the movement and the friction and the way I had the best orgasm of my life as yet…

Suddenly I sat up straight as a bulb lit in my head. What if it had been the same for Edward? I recalled the moan that had joined mine as I had climaxed. Of course…of course he had run. I marched out of the room, intent on going to him—and smacked into Jasper, of all people.

"What are you hiding here for?" I muttered, rubbing my forehead to soothe it. This habit of his, of lurking around the corners, was fast becoming annoying.

Even in the shadows I could see his nostrils flare. He was definitely not pleased.

"I just came in from having a night-out with my friends, Bella," he drawled rather patronizingly as if I had asked an absurd question. Then he jerked his chin towards the room behind me.

"I thought we had agreed upon a plan to get you a divorce from Edward? I don't recall dry-humping being a part of it though!"

His accusation left me breathless for a moment. Then I felt a surge of fury. How dare he presume that I would go along whatever he had 'suggested'!

"And I don't recall having agreed to your so-called plan, Jasper," I ground out from between clenched teeth. It seemed to take him by surprise.

"I assumed—"

I cut him off with a snort.

"Well, don't assume anything, Jasper. Edward is a sweet and sincere guy, and I am not going to be harsh to him just because you told me to. He has enough problems of his own to contend with, and I refuse to add to them!"

"But you want a divorce from him!"

"No, you said I should get one from him—I was never sure about it. I still am not, actually. Now, if you will excuse me?"

I headed towards the stairs. Just as I stepped on the second one, he muttered angrily—"Don't tell me you are considering spending your whole life with him, Bella. You will be nothing but a glorified nanny, in spite of the occasional dry-humping!"

I didn't think before replying; I just did. Maybe I just wanted to hurt him like he hurt me with that comment. But I had to have the last word.

"Maybe I can get him to give me more, Jasper," I whispered loudly so he could hear, "or maybe what he can give me is still better than what you can, because at least I will remain true to myself that way. Frankly, I am not even sure that I love you, or ever did. Goodnight."

* * *

Edward was still in the shower when I stepped inside our room. I locked and bolted the door. I had a feeling that we were going to have a conversation that nobody should overhear, whether they meant to or not. Then I folded myself on the sofa and waited.

In a couple of minutes the shower was silenced and the bathroom door opened, and Edward peeked out. When he spied me on the sofa, he seemed to be considering going back inside; perhaps spend the night there. I smiled at him and beckoned him to come join me. Then I noticed that he was wearing only a towel around his waist.

"Um, I forgot to take my clothes with me," he stammered, blushing furiously and nodding towards his cupboard. "Could you just—?"

"Of course." I fetched his pajamas from the dresser and handed them to him, and he disappeared inside with a thanks. When he came out again he was dressed, but his cheeks were still tinted pink. I thought back to the day when he had helped me take off my wet clothes without a qualm. What had changed?

I smiled at him again and patted the seat beside me, and he obligingly sat there, not meeting my eyes. It was as if he had taken a bite out of the forbidden fruit of knowledge.

"Edward, what happened? Did I do something wrong?" I took his hand in mine and stroked it. His eyes snapped up to mine, looking slightly shocked.

"No Bella, not you—I was the one who…I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't even talk about it."

That made me very curious. Edward thought there was some topic that should not be discussed? That was new!

"Who said you shouldn't talk about it?" If he meant what I thought he did though, I had a good idea who it could have been. The next second he proved me right.

"Emmett—he said it was private."

"And he was right, Edward, but…it's different with me. You can discuss anything with me, because I am your wife."

He seemed to be giving some thought to my words. "So, does that mean I can tell you things I can't tell other people?" he asked finally.

I nodded, praying that I would never let him down. "Definitely Edward, you can tell me anything at all. I need to know so that if there is a problem, we can solve it together."

He nodded emphatically. "That is true, that's what mom also said once, when we were about to be married. She said husband and wife are partners for life and can share everything."

I wondered what Esme had hoped by imparting that bit of wisdom to him. Did she really think I could solve all of Edward's problems, or at least help him figure them out? She was an optimistic woman, in that case!

Anyway, once I had convinced Edward to share, it all came tumbling out. He didn't recall the first time it had happened, but it was after he had completed all his physical therapies. He had woken up one morning to discover his boxers sticky and smelly, and had called out to Emmett in a panic, thinking he was going to die of some strange disease.

"He had fallen asleep here because he had arrived the previous evening and we had been talking until late," he explained rather self-consciously, as if assuring me that he did not need Emmett to sleep nearby by that time. "At first he was worried, then he laughed, and then he explained to me that it was something all the guys experienced when they were excited. He said if it happened when I was awake, I should go take a shower and 'spank the monkey'."

I tried to hold back my laughter, but it escaped in a surprised snort. Only Emmett…

"I asked him where I would find a monkey every time, and why should I spank it anyway," he confessed, and I gave up and laughed openly until I felt weak and collapsed against him. He laughed too, putting his arm around my shoulder and squeezing it.

"I bet Emmett died laughing," I remarked after I had regained my breath. He nodded.

"Mom thought he had stomach ache or something; he made so much noise. She came running, and when she asked me I couldn't explain because he had already asked me not to talk about this to anyone. I just told her he was being an ass."

"That was a good answer," I agreed. "I am sure Esme wouldn't have wanted to know the real reason. It would have—"

"Embarrassed her?"

"You remember!"

He smiled, pleased. "I remember most things nowadays. Earlier though, I used to forget a lot, sometimes even what I had for a meal, or how to button up my shirt. My therapist gave me a lot of brain exercises to make me better."

Esme wasn't exaggerating when she said he had been through a lot. I blinked quickly, not wanting to cry in front of him.

"Emmett was wrong, you know," he stated suddenly. I looked up at him questioningly.

"It is called masturbation—I Googled the monkey thing and there was a lot of information under the proper term."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. He was so clinical that it was like being in the class for Health Education.

"Yes, apparently males of some species have an erection when they want to mate with the female. But human males can bring themselves to climax by their own hand, and then they ejaculate."

My feeling of déjà vu increased.

"I still don't understand why it happened while we were kissing though," he mused, breaking me out of my trance-like state.

"Um, I guess you became…excited," I explained weakly, mentally cursing Emmett for not explaining things better to him. How was I supposed to know what guys felt like while making out?

His brow furrowed as he tried to work it out in his head.

"To mate means to procreate, right?"

I nodded. He frowned some more.

"But I don't want to procreate with you."

My heart sank to my knees. He didn't find me attractive enough? But his next statement chased away my fears.

"Having children is a big responsibility, isn't it? You are too young; even I am too young for that. You have to go to school, and I have to make something out of my life—then we can think about kids."

He looked at me expectantly, but his matter-of-fact speech had robbed me of rational thought. All I could think of was a couple of miniature Edwards running around, their bright green eyes sparkling with mischief. This naturally led to the thought of the act that might be the beginning of those little angels. And _that_ led to a full-on blush on my part.

Edward reached out and curiously stroked my cheek, not helping matters any.

"Why are you so red in the face, Bella? And warm too—are you feeling like I was a little while ago?"

The guy was just too sharp.

"Edward, do you want to know what that girl was doing in the restaurant?" I blurted out in desperation, almost biting off my tongue. Now I had jumped from the proverbial frying pan into the fire! And the way Edward was leaning towards me, he was not going to let go of the topic this time.

"Well, you know…" I stammered, and then decided to use what he had told me a few minutes ago. "You know how it feels when you use your hand and…"

"Ejaculate?" he added helpfully. I thanked the heavens silently for Edward being so cooperative.

"Yes, so…women don't do that, but they experience a similar sensation when they, er, orgasm. That girl was just pretending—because you can't do it for real in a public place, you know?"

"Of course not," he said emphatically, "she would need to go home and shower, right?"

Talk about throwing a curve ball…

"Uh no, not necessarily, but it would be nice I suppose…"

"Women are lucky."

Before I could tell him of our many not-so-lucky problems, he changed the topic—sort of.

"But Bella, does that mean that we can orgasm together without having children?"

"Um, yes?"

"Like what happened on the sofa in there?" he vaguely jerked his chin towards the family room.

Where was he going with his questions?

"Yes, just like that."

He beamed.

"We should try it again—soon! Because it was better than anytime I have done before."

* * *

End Note: Uh-oh, seems Edward's inner teen is awake and about! Now what is Bella supposed to say to that?


	17. Chapter 17

Wow, I had no idea that making out on the sofa would prove so popular! We will have to invent more of those situations. As for Bella's response, I loved the one that enthusiastically suggested—"Jump him, Bella; he is your husband!"

However, for the time being, let us return to the story. Okay?

Oh, saw 'The Great Gatsby'. One word for Leo—magnificent!

Disclaimer: Same as usual.

Pre-read by the lovely TeamAllTwilight. She has worked hard to make this chapter what it is!

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Chapter-17

Seattle.

It was more or less new to both of us. Edward remembered some of it, but that was from visits he had made as a child. He admitted that they seemed to him like something out of a half-remembered dream. I had been through the city only in passing. My flight from Chicago had landed at Sea Tac airport, from where I had been whisked to Forks by Charlie. Even though it had been early evening, my jet-lagged body had decided to take a quick nap. As soon as I had settled in the comfortable back seat of the shiny black Mercedes-Benz Charlie had purchased after relocating to the tiny town, I was out. In Chicago he had driven a Jaguar, but he had conceded that it was too ostentatious for the locals here. So this was the first time I was actually looking at the city.

Emmett had given me a few facts about Seattle. It was known as the Emerald City because of the abundance of greenery around it, and the number of cloudy days rivaled that of Forks. I learned that it was home to a number of famous musicians and bands. Also, it would be a crime to miss a Seahawks game while we were in the city. I think he would have planned our itinerary for at least a week, but Esme had made it clear that we were to be back in Forks within three days.

Emmett was irritated by the condition, Edward had shrugged and I had nodded my agreement. True, it was a little too overprotective of Esme, but I understood her unwillingness. I understood her need to have Edward where she could keep an eye on him. She had almost lost him once, and the couple of outings we had had in Forks had done nothing to convince her that he could cope with unfamiliar places. To be honest, even I was not sure how this trip to Seattle would go, but we had to try.

It wasn't that anything disastrous had happened on those 'trial dates'. It was just that Edward never seemed comfortable anywhere except at his home. He had requested us to avoid too much of a crowd or noise, so we ruled out the youth club's musical night, which would have both. As for the bonfire on the First Beach, Rose assured us that it always turned rowdy after the partygoers had imbibed a few drinks. That left us with minimal options-the diner, and the drive-in movie.

Since it was only an experiment, we chose to visit the diner only after the lunch hour crowd had cleared out and before the evening customers could drift in. However, we got stared enough by the couple of old-timers who were mostly passing time with a newspaper between them, and the thankfully lone waiter serving us. I think the cook came out to take a peek at us at one point, but I couldn't be sure. At any rate, none of us except Emmett could take even a bite of the greasy-looking cheeseburgers placed in front of us. Edward was understandably nervous, and Rose and I were sure we would have a heart attack before we could finish them. So we sipped at our sodas while trying to look unaware of the threesome of stares we were receiving and chatted about inane matters.

The drive-in was better, but only because of the anonymity provided by the darkness. We had to take separate cars of course, and I persuaded Esme to let me drive Edward's Volvo, the least visible of the Cullen cars. Edward didn't mind, and although he said he had fun watching the movie, I think he had more fun kissing and touching me at intervals. Not that I had any objections.

Everything had to be the best for our Seattle trip, of course. A couple of rooms were booked at The Four Seasons, and we were provided with a driver who also occasionally acted as a bodyguard for the Cullens. Apparently Felix had been with the family for ages and was completely trustworthy. Emmett drove his own car, and Rose chose to give him company during the drive. She had not said much, but I was sure that she was thrilled to have the chance to be alone with Emmett away from her parents. Although Emmett was always over at their place in Forks, he had a designated guestroom. He may or may not have snuck into Rose's room sometimes, but she had confided in me that it was always awkward. They had not gone further than second base, for all the PDA they had shared in front of Edward and me. I believed her.

In Seattle Emmett was supposed to stay at his home during the nights, but I had no idea whether they were going to stick with that instruction or ignore it. Felix had been offered a room in the same hotel, but he had refused, saying he would be as out of the place there as a crow among swans. Instead he had chosen a nearby guesthouse to board in. If we needed him, he could be with us in five minutes.

The meeting with Bree's mother, Vera, was at five in the evening, so we had arrived at the hotel before lunch. After oohing and aahing over the view from our rooms, we had settled in by taking a tour of the facilities offered and having lunch. Afterwards Edward had insisted on going through all his manuscripts so that we could help him decide which ones to show to Vera. But the stories were all extremely interesting, and before we could make a unanimous decision it was five o'clock and Vera was at the door.

Bree greeted me as if it had been a hundred years since we saw each-other. She was a small, pretty girl, very friendly and enthusiastic. She could be rather loud and thoughtless at times, but her heart was in the right place, so people who knew her didn't mind too much. On the other hand, Vera was beautiful in an understated way, with a warm manner that immediately put us at ease. She was also very much a professional, and didn't waste much time in small talk. As soon as we had settled in the comfortable sofa seats and ordered our choice of drinks from room service, she began to read through one of Edward's stories. Bree asked if she could have a look too, and Edward handed her one. Whereas Vera read quietly, Bree exclaimed about something or other every couple of minutes. I think her loudness startled Edward at first, but then he accepted her as a smaller, feminine version of Emmett. He did not appear particularly nervous, but then he never let go my hand the entire time we were waiting for the verdict.

When Vera finished the manuscript, she closed it and smiled at us.

"This is amazing, Edward," she remarked sincerely. "I am sure any publisher will gladly accept it. However, I am not the best agent for this kind of book, so I would like to recommend somebody I know. His name is Garrett Rebel, and he lives right here in Seattle. Would you like me to fix an appointment with him?"

Edward looked at me, uncertainty in his eyes. I nodded in an encouraging manner, and he agreed and thanked Vera. Bree gave him a curious look but kept turning the pages of her book.

Vera informed us that Garrett would like to see us the next morning, if it was all right with us. We said it was and noted his office address.

"Hey, Edward, where are you taking Bella on your honeymoon?" Bree asked out of the blue as they were getting up to leave. "She wouldn't say when I asked her on the phone. Is it a big secret or something?"

"Bree!" exclaimed Vera in a chastising manner, but Bree remained unperturbed.

"Um, as I said, we haven't—" I began haltingly. But then Edward put his arm around me and squeezed comfortingly.

"We will go wherever Bella wants to go, Bree," he answered smoothly, even though I could see his cheeks turning pink. I looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, that's so sweet! You know, I was surprised when Bella told me she was married, but I can see now why she chose not to wait. Some other lucky girl would have snapped you up otherwise!"

I could feel a blush coming on, but Edward tackled it coolly.

"I am sure I am the lucky one here," he murmured, and even Vera made an 'aww' face at that. Bree congratulated us once again and promised to be in touch, and then they were gone.

I had not realized it, but all of us had been a little tense. As soon as the door was closed, we collapsed into the sofas, blowing out heavily. Emmett gave a whoop and cheered Edward loudly, jumping up and down on the cushioned seat.

"You did it, dude! She was so impressed—I bet this Garrett guy will be blown over by your talent too. Tomorrow's meeting is going to be a cakewalk!"

Edward gave one of his adorably shy smiles. "You really think so?" he looked at all of us, seeking approval.

"Most definitely!" Emmett was on a roll. "Let's go out and celebrate—this is great news. We should get drunk or something!"

Rose and I rolled our eyes and reminded him we were underage. And obviously Edward would not drink. That seemed to sober him a bit.

"Well, we must do something," he drummed his fingers impatiently on the coffee table. Then he smiled. "I know, we could go to the waterfront—there is always a lot to do there. Hey Rose, didn't you say once you would like to visit the aquarium again?"

Rose's face lit up with nostalgia. "Oh yes, it's been years since we have been there, right Edward? Let's go—it will be fun!"

"What about the crowd?" I asked gingerly, not wanting to offend anybody. But Edward set my fears at rest, explaining that he could handle that kind of crowd. "I can't imagine myself in a mad dancing one, like in a club or even at a concert," he specified.

So we went to the waterfront.

It really was a nice place, with lots to do and see. The blue sky and balmy weather had brought out people in hordes—couples and children and teenagers and grandparents…all cheerful and in the mood to be merry. The parks were full and so were the piers, but Edward was right when he said that he wouldn't be bothered. Perhaps the earlier outings were not as useless as I had imagined.

He kept close to me all the time though, his fingers entwined with mine. I didn't mind—I was happy that he could enjoy himself in a relatively unfamiliar place. Plus I liked his hands—large, warm and beautifully shaped. They always made me feel…safe.

All of us loved our trip to the aquarium. It was huge place, and the variety of sea-creatures it contained was awe-inspiring. From the tiny sea-horse to the giant octopus, we found plenty to point at and exclaim over. When we finally left the place, evening had set in properly and the city was aglow with the glittering lights. Emmett said he knew a great hole-in-the-wall place for seafood, so we followed him as he recounted to us the places he and Edward used to frequent back in the day.

"Edward was a strong swimmer," he stated proudly, adding that besides being in the swim team, he had taken some diving classes too. "Don't you want to take more of them, Edward? If you get your certificate you could dive into the Puget Sound and see all those magnificent animals without the glass partition!"

Edward turned a little green and turned away from us abruptly, knocking into a girl just to the left of him. Rose gave Emmett a reproachful glance, who looked sheepish at his mistake. Of course Edward would not like to dive after having suffered near-drowning in the sea.

"I am so sorry!" he apologized to the girl, who opened her mouth to say something, then took one look at him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Edward Cullen! Oh my god, I can't believe it!" she screeched in a high-pitched voice and pressed a kiss on his beautiful lips. Emmett, Rose and I stood as if turned into statues, while my poor husband looked as if he was about to faint. The willowy blonde chattered on about the oh-so-romantic dates they had had and the dreams they had of a shared future while clutching on to his shirt, until I woke up and pushed her off him.

"Excuse me, that's my husband you are being handsy with," I announced clearly and loudly so that there was no misunderstanding my words. She looked incredulous, but at least removed her hands. Edward immediately moved behind me as if hiding himself from the gaga girl who was clearly headed to crazyville. It made me feel as protective of him as a mama bear of her cubs.

Emmett too found his voice at that moment. "Aren't you Tanya?" he asked.

The blond beamed at this unexpected identification. "Yes, yes I am. You know me, don't you? I and Edward—"

"—went on a total of two dates, if I remember correctly, and even those were double-dates. So why are you going on as if he promised his life to you? Plus I bet you know as well as anybody at school that he had this terrible accident and doesn't remember anything from that period," Emmett stated.

To her credit, she looked a little…uncomfortable.

"Well, I thought he might remember me, or if not, maybe I could persuade him to try again. He is the best guy I have ever met, you know." Her tone was sincere.

I felt almost sorry for her—almost.

"I think you can see how awkward it is for him," I told her gently, and she pursed her lips and nodded. "And we are really married. See?" I showed her our matching gold bands.

She sighed wistfully. "You are one lucky girl then. He is such a sweetheart, and you are going to make such pretty babies together!"

I coughed in response while she congratulated us, apologized to Edward and then left us in peace. I could feel Edward's arms around me, holding on as if his life depended upon it. When he spoke, his warm breath tickled the side of my face.

"Bella, I am glad I did not make any babies with her. She talks too much!"

* * *

End Note: Quite a day they had! What did you think when Tanya was all over Edward? And how will it go with Garrett?


	18. Chapter 18

Hi! Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews for the previous chapter! Most readers were relieved that Tanya wasn't a stalker-type and had no dark, deep past with Edward. That would have taken this story on a different track altogether!

The general consensus about Bree was that she was all right, though a bit tactless.

Beta'ed by the lovely and talented TeamAllTwilight. Her praise for this chapter made me glow!

Disclaimer: SM owns; I just tweak the characters here and there!

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Chapter-18

As we settled down in a corner of this tiny place called 'E's Seafood', I wondered about the vagaries of life. Not that the happy noise there was in any way conducive to meditation, but today had been one of the strangest days on my life. Including the day I got married to seemingly the wrong man, but who was fast becoming utterly right for me.

Meeting Bree had made me realize how much that part of my life had become exactly what it was—the past. I had had a good time at school on the whole, yet I did not miss it. I was fairly popular without being a badass, but right now I had no wish to surround myself with the people I knew then. Though my new life had been thrust upon my unprepared self, I found myself not just accepting it but also liking it. Emmett and Rose felt like old friends, and Edward…something more.

Edward and I had more in common than I had ever imagined. He too had been uprooted from his old life, although in his case it had been much more tragic. We had run into a couple of former classmates of his just outside the eatery. They had spoken cheerfully to Emmett and pretended not to stare at Edward, as if he was some exotic animal at the Seattle zoo. Edward had been his usual polite self, but I could see that he looked a little lost. To him they were just…strangers. I felt his relief in the way he squeezed my hand when they left. Their avoidance had been as uncomfortable to him as Tanya's exuberance.

The food was delicious. We had gone along with Emmett's recommendation and ordered a huge sampler we could share. The salmon, the catfish and the Hawaiian prawns were all great, as were the local delicacies like sardines and anchovies, but I fell in love with the crab cakes. They were crisply fried, with minimal breading and no heavy sauce. Edward declared that the wild Alaskan king salmon, lacquered delectably in a light glaze of tamarind and soy and served with carrot salad, was the best thing he had ever tasted. His remark brought a knowing smile to Emmett's lips. Did he know Edward would like that particular dish? Did he like it before?

The owner brought the bill to us at the end of the meal, surprising me. However, Emmett stood up and gave him a man-hug, informing us that they were old friends. The owner's name was Eric and Emmett and he had been neighbors for years. Eric was six years older to him and had opted to go into business right after completing school. His parents had been skeptical, but let him have his college fund anyway. The first year had been hard, but he had not given up, and slowly made E's one of the most popular seafood joints, especially among the college-going crowd.

The small, wiry man shook hands with all of us enthusiastically. Then he turned to Edward and did the unexpected.

"Hey man, it's good to see you again! Emmett told me you had had this accident but are fully recovered now, except you have forgotten some things. I hope you still like the food here though?"

He had neither avoided Edward's eyes, nor been falsely cheerful, and his tone was perfectly normal. Edward looked surprised but smiled warmly.

"I definitely like the food here, especially the Alaskan king salmon. It's the best fish I have ever tasted!"

Eric's eyes twinkled. "You always favored it over any other dish here. Glad to see your tastes haven't changed. Are you coming back any time soon? To the school, I mean?"

I swallowed nervously, but I guess Edward understood Eric wasn't being mean or anything. He answered easily that he had not decided as yet, and shyly added that he hoped to get his books published. Eric wished him the best, asked him not to be a stranger, and disappeared into the kitchen.

We returned to our hotel in a good mood. However, when the elevator arrived at our floor and we got out, Emmett and Rose looked quite…uncomfortable, looking at each-other as if trying to make a decision. Edward, ever intuitive, picked up on their tension.

"What is the matter, Em? Why are you fidgeting so much?"

Emmett straightened his shoulders. Obviously he had made up his mind.

"Edward, you know I love Rose?"

Edward looked at him curiously. "Yes, I know that. So what?"

"Well, Esme made me promise that I would spend the nights at my parents' place, and I fully intend to honor that promise. But…if it is okay with you—if you don't mind, we would—Rose and I—we would like to spend some time together, before I leave. Just an hour, you know, to talk undisturbed."

I had never seen Emmett so nervous. As for Edward, he was gazing at Emmett earnestly, his brow furrowed in concentration. Finally he spoke.

"Why are you asking _me_, Em?"

"Because you are her brother, and also my best friend— I would like you to know that you can trust me." Emmett's answer was instant.

"And you want to talk with her—that's all?" Suddenly Edward's smile was the tiniest bit mischievous. Emmett actually blushed!

"Well, there might be some kissing and hugging," he mumbled. Behind him, Rose made a kind of strangled sound.

Edward's expression turned serious again. "No baby-making, okay?"

Emmett hid his face in his hands in an uncharacteristic gesture. Rose giggled once, or maybe it was a squeak. I had a coughing fit for the second time in the evening. Finally Emmett recovered enough to assure Edward that they would wait to be married to do anything like that. Edward nodded.

"Yes, it is a big responsibility—raising a baby. Bella and I are waiting too. We have to make something of ourselves first."

Before he could give any other information on our activities in the bedroom, I told Rose and Emmett a hasty goodnight and dragged Edward towards our room.

"Um, Edward, you should not have said anything about the waiting thing—it's private," I scolded him once we were safely inside.

He looked puzzled. "Why, Bella? I did not say anything about what we did together, did I? That is what people don't want to hear, because it makes them uncomfortable."

I sighed. How could I make him understand? "Edward, people don't want to talk about anything related to…sex—whether someone is doing it, or not doing it. It is not considered proper."

He scratched his head, looking adorably confused. "So…I should not talk with _anybody_, about _anything_ we do—or not do—in our room. Is that it?"

I nodded, relieved he was not making a big fuss about it. "That's it, basically. Now I think I will take a shower before heading to bed. What do you want to do?"

He yawned. "Watch the TV for a little while, I guess, then off to sleep. I will skip the shower though."

I rolled my eyes. _Boys._ If they didn't actually feel dirty or sweaty, they thought there was no need to shower.

When I came back from the bathroom, my hair wrapped in a towel and my body in the purple fluffy bathrobe provided by the hotel because it felt just-so-nice , it was to an unexpected sight. A well-endowed woman, probably in her mid-thirties, her long black hair flowing down her back, was taking off her colorful blouse to reveal a perfect pair of melons topped with dark cherries. It took me a moment to realize that this was happening on the large, wall-mounted flat screen TV in front of me. It took me another moment to realize that I was not the only person in the room who was absolutely mesmerized by the scene. Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed as if trying to get closer to the TV, his mouth slightly open and the expression on his face a mixture of awe and something else I could not define exactly. It wasn't lust or even longing, yet…Appreciation, perhaps?

My first instinct was of course to close my eyes and run back into the bathroom, or to scream at Edward to switch off the TV. But the awe on his face stopped me. If he could appreciate the beauty of the female form, why couldn't I?

I must have made a sound, for he turned to me and smiled. Then he took in my attire, stood up and came to me, his eyes darkening a little. For the first time I noticed how graceful his carriage was—like a lion on the prowl. The image sent a tingle up and down my spine.

"Bella?" he murmured as his fingers trailed along a cheek. I gazed at him wide-eyed. "Did you see that?"

I could feel my face growing hot. "Yes," I whispered back. Why was I so embarrassed? It wasn't as if I was a high-school kid, caught watching porn by her parents.

"I had no idea that boobs were so beautiful," he continued, voice unintentionally sexy as his hand slipped lower and hovered just below my neck. "May I see yours, please? I really want to."

No woman in the world would have been able to refuse him, as eager in his request as a child on Christmas morning. "Yes," I managed to say through a suddenly dry throat.

Slowly his hands parted the sides of the robe until I felt cool air on my bare flesh. And then I recalled the set on the screen and closed my eyes, unable to see his disappointment. Immediately his hands stilled.

"Bella, what is the matter? If you don't want to…"

He sounded so sad, I had to open my eyes and look at him. "No, that's okay—I mean, it's a little awkward for me, because nobody has seen my breasts—but I am afraid you will not like them."

He frowned. "Why wouldn't I like them?"

"They are much smaller than hers," I pointed towards the TV with my chin. Edward turned too, and we spied the gypsy beauty and her lover in bed, though discreetly covered in all the right places. Edward grabbed the remote and switched it off, leaving a silent blue screen. Then he took my hand and gently pushed me towards the bed until I sat down. He kneeled in front of me, his expression earnest.

"It doesn't matter if your boobs are small or large Bella, I will like them very much. Yes, I did find the ones there beautiful, but they belonged to someone I have never met. She is not even real to me Bella, but you are—you are everything to me. I find you beautiful inside and out."

How did he know exactly what to say? His words and his look took away all my insecurity, and I parted the robe so that he could see.

"Oh Bella!" his tone was almost worshipful. "May I touch them?"

"Of course."

His hands were tentative at first, yet his fingertips left a burning sensation as they trailed up and down. Then they became more confident, stroking the pale flesh before arriving at the rose-tipped centers. When he finally squeezed them gently, I thought I would die of pleasure.

"I want to kiss them, Bella. Please?"

My breath was becoming erratic. "Uh-huh," I managed somehow.

As soon as his lips connected with a nipple, one hand still massaging the other, I moaned—so loudly that it startled both of us. Edward drew back a couple of inches so he could look at my face.

"Was that painful, Bella? I won't—"

I didn't let him complete his sentence. I wanted those magical lips back. "No, it felt good, very good," I panted. "Please…"

He grinned and leaned closer, but this time he added licking and sucking, making me writhe with anticipation. When he had given sufficient attention to one, he switched to the other, and the combination of lips and tongue and hands made me fly again within seconds. Thankfully, this time he stayed where he was, his face buried between my breasts while I came down softly. It was only then I noticed that he was breathing very hard too.

"Thank you, Edward, thank you so much." I took my courage in my hands and continued, "That was even better than the last time."

He beamed as his breath evened somewhat. "It was, wasn't it? I didn't know we could orgasm this way too. Maybe there are other ways too we can try?"

My heart skipped a couple of beats at the proposal, but I agreed. He went off to the bathroom, and I changed into a tank top and shorts and got inside the covers. I was almost asleep when I felt the mattress dip and Edward warmth surround me from behind.

"You know what is the best thing, Bella?" he breathed in my ear as his arms crossed in front of me.

"What?" I asked sleepily.

"Your boobs taste even better than my favorite cookies."

* * *

End Note: Phew! I thought they would never shut up. These young people! ;)


	19. Chapter 19

Hi! So sorry for the long wait. There were some things that demanded my attention!

As usual, Edward got a lot of love from the readers. Thank you, everyone!

A couple of days ago my inbox burst with new follows, favorites, and reviews. Turned out the fabulous lovepotionsbrewer had rec'd this little tale on her story—'Volturi Bed & Breakfast'. It's a lovely story with an unusual background, so check it out!

Disclaimer: Sigh, 'Twilight' still not mine. Nope, not even Edward—but Sweetward is!

Pre-read by the amazing TeamAllTwilight.

* * *

Chapter-19

Sometime during the night, Edward woke me up with his thrashing around and whimpering. At first I could not understand anything, having been so deeply asleep. It took my brain a few seconds to come out of the sleep mode and start functioning again.

"Ru-un."

Was he having a nightmare again? I raised myself on an elbow and stroked his cheek with my free hand. Of course Esme and Rose and told me that he had them for months after his accident, but this was the first time I was seeing him being disturbed. I had no idea what to do. Exactly how did Emmett comfort him earlier? I fumbled to switch on the bedside lamp. In its soft luminescence, I could see sweat beads forming on his forehead.

"Ruu-ruu-nn."

Who was he running from? Whoever it was, Edward was clearly terrified. Didn't they say that people in such deep sleep shouldn't be woken up suddenly? Or was that for people who walked in their sleep? Whatever it was, I could not see him suffering any more.

"Edward, wake up, please." I shook him by the shoulder, gently. It had no effect on him.

"Nn-oo, pliz." His face was drenched now, and his shirt under my hand and arm seemed damp. I shook him harder, wanting to cry myself.

"Edward, please, please wake up. Edward!" The second time I called out quite loudly and then patted his cheek rather roughly. It worked—too well. He sat up abruptly, knocking his forehead with mine.

"Ouch!" I regained my balance and rubbed my forehead, and so did he. Then he smiled his sweet smile, and I puffed out a breath, feeling extremely relieved. He, on the other hand, looked puzzled.

"What happened, Bella? Why did we bump heads?"

I stared at him, flabbergasted with his nonchalance.

"Um, I was trying to wake you up."

His forehead wrinkled in thought. "Why? Did you want something? Are you hungry?"

Clearly he did not remember his dream. Should I tell him? It might disturb him, yet not telling him seemed wrong. He should know, right?

"You were having a nightmare, Edward," I informed him softly, touching his cheek because I wanted to comfort him. But his face fell anyway.

"I am sorry, Bella." His beautiful eyes looked into mine; he seemed ashamed, for some reason. I frowned.

"Why, sweetheart?" The expression came so naturally to me that it startled me a bit. I decided to think about it later on.

He swallowed nervously. "I shouldn't be having nightmares now, Bella. I am too old for them."

Where had he got this idea from? "Anybody can have a nightmare, Edward; it's not your fault." But he shook his head.

"When I had them…earlier on, I disturbed everybody if Emmett wasn't there. One night Jasper came to my room and told me that I should be able to control them, that only little children had nightmares and maybe I should sleep with mom if I was that scared of them." He looked at me sadly. "I did try, Bella. I prayed to God before going to bed, and they slowly stopped. But tonight…maybe I shouldn't have stopped praying." He hung his head.

I shut my eyes for a second and tried to breathe evenly. Why _was_ Jasper so mean to Edward? To blame him for having nightmares…I felt like I could strangle Jasper at that moment. But Edward needed me more, needed me to be calm.

"Edward, listen to me," I said firmly, holding his face so that he had to look at me. "You know I—care for you, right?"

He nodded, eyes wide and trustful.

"Jasper lied to you. I don't know why, but I intend to find out, okay? Nobody can control their nightmares, nobody, so it's not your fault—at all. And praying is good, but you didn't have a nightmare tonight because you stopped praying. If you want to pray, good, if not, that's okay too. God still loves us. Your nightmare is _not_ a punishment, okay?"

He looked hopeful. "Really?"

"Really and truly, so don't feel guilty. It's probably because of this trip—new place, being around so many people, Emmett talking of the ocean—seriously, it could be anything. Even I had weird dreams when I moved to Forks. Do you feel okay to sleep now?"

His face relaxed, and so did his shoulders. "Yes, I think I will just go to the restroom."

I smiled at him, and was thankful to see him smile back. While he went to the loo, I said a short prayer for him, asking for a peaceful night. I may not pray regularly, but I still believed in the power of it.

Edward came back and sort of wrapped himself around me. I ran my fingers through his soft hair and massaged his neck, and could hear him almost purring with content.

"Edward, do you feel like praying?" I murmured into his neck. He nodded, his chin tapping my head twice. And then his velvety voice enveloped me.

"O' Lord, please give me a good night's sleep, without nightmares, and the same to my family. Bella is really nice, so let her always be with me. Thank you."

* * *

End Note: I know it's really short, but I wanted to post something quickly—it's been so long. Hope to have the next chapter ready in a couple of days!


	20. Chapter 20

Oh my, Edward and this story—both have got so much love. I am overwhelmed! Thank you everybody, whether you reviewed one chapter, or each and every one.

Did you notice we have crossed four hundred reviews?

I did think though, that people would take a guess at what Edward was mumbling in his sleep.

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the awesome Ms. Meyer. Sweetward's dreams belong to me!

Pre-read by the ever-diligent TeamAllTwilight.

* * *

Chapter-20

Garrett Rebel was an anomaly in the world of publishing. At least, what I knew of it, which admittedly was very little. I imagined all the publishers to be serious-looking people in business suits, and all the literary agents to be prim and proper, somewhat similar to Bree's mother. But Garrett lived up to his name.

His office was nicely furnished, if somewhat monochromatic. Various shades of blue prevailed, be it the walls, the curtains, or the very plush sofas. The effect was somewhat like the Seattle sky outside, not sunny but still cheerful, except that Garrett was like an unexpected rainbow in the middle of it as he stood up to greet us.

His clothes were casual and colorful, but did not clash with each-other. A long string of reddish-brown beads adorned his neck, while his long hair was tied back with a piece of thin green ribbon that matched his jeans. He was as tall as Edward, but thinner, had sharp cheekbones and a wide smile, and a drooping moustache. Oh, did I mention he wore a yellow Kurta with a deep red 'Om' printed on it?

Even Emmett stopped short on seeing him as we entered his office after the receptionist waved us in. As Garrett opened his arms wide in welcome, we waved to him warily. I was afraid his flamboyance would scare Edward away, but he took one look at his would-be literary agent, curiosity written large on his face, then stepped forward boldly and hugged him as if they were long-lost old friends.

I sneaked a look at Rose and Emmett, who stood there still as statues, mouths gaping like a fish. To be honest, I probably looked the same. But Edward gestured to us impatiently, so we moved closer to them.

"Come on guys, what are you waiting for? Meet Garrett and take a seat." He beamed at us while pointing at the sofas, arranged in a circle with a small, glass-topped table in the center. I think I actually blinked at him a few times. Who was this guy and what had he done with my shy Edward?

We sat down gingerly while Edward tested the cushions by bouncing on them a few times. Garrett laughed, his laughter deep and rumbling and very unexpected from his thin frame, and clapped Edward on the back.

"I like you, kid!" he rumbled, making me jump a little. It was only then that I noticed a few streaks of grey in his otherwise dark hair and laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. Somehow his exuberant presence made one forget about his physical appearance. But I was still curious how Edward had bonded with him so easily.

"I like you too," announced Edward, having satisfied himself with the elasticity of the sofa seats. "But please call me Edward; I am twenty-one, you know." Then he took my hand in his and added solemnly, "This is Bella, my wife, and also my second best-friend." He frowned as if displeased with the introduction. "Well, Emmett is my best friend, but Bella is a girl, so she is my best girl-friend, I suppose. And Rosalie here is my sister and engaged to Emmett. He is going to be a fitness-trainer."

Emmett and Rose snickered at Edward's correction but managed to say 'hi' politely. Garrett nodded at each of us and smiled in an avuncular fashion. Then he told us not to mind, but he called all the young people 'kid', because they looked like kids from where he was. Of course Edward had to ask his age.

"Edward!" I hissed, but Garrett said he did not mind.

"I am almost fifty-one," he declared, adding, "probably your father's age. Now you see?"

We said we did. Then he smacked the palm of one hand into the back of other and got down to business. We handed him Edward's binders, and he selected one and began to read. Never being able to resist, I picked up another and followed him. Edward peeked into it at intervals and made comments softly. Rose and Emmett spoke in a soft tone so as not to disturb us.

"You are good, kid, very good," announced Garrett as he finished reading the first one. He placed it carefully by his side and smiled approvingly. Then he gestured to another one—we had brought three—and asked if he could have a look at it. Of course Edward agreed.

He flipped through it fairly quickly, as well as the one I had been reading, then returned it to the table and looked at us thoughtfully.

"Edward," he said, fingering his beads lightly, "do you mind if I ask you a few questions? I promise you I won't mind if you don't want to answer something—just say no, okay?"

Edward nodded, albeit a bit warily. Garrett asked him a few questions about his interest in graphic novels, how and when he thought of writing one himself and what themes inspired him. Then he asked if he went to school in Seattle.

It was an innocent question, but I could see Edward hesitating. Finally he decided to be open about it and answered that he did not go to school any more as he had had an accident during the Spring break of his freshman year and took a long time to recover from it. Also that there were gaps in his memory and he was not ready to face the outside world again.

"But you came to Seattle to see me," remarked Garrett, "and you were quite at ease with me. I don't see any problem here."

Edward shook his head. "It was different with you—I felt like I already knew you, and that you are a nice man. But people of my age are not like that—well, except Emmett and Bella and Rose. I see it on the TV, they even talk in a different way. And last evening, when two of them talked with Emmett, I could not understand them—what they were talking about. It was strange."

"Hmm, so you feel you can't relate to the people out there?" Garrett stroked his cheek once, and then his hand returned to his beads. I wondered if he derived comfort from them, like a child does from his favorite cuddly toy.

"I guess not," muttered Edward, staring at his feet. A loud 'tch' from Garrett made his head snap up though.

"And why do you think that is a big deal?" demanded Garrett, almost angrily. "Listen kid, this world tells you, conditions you to believe that it is important to be like everybody else, right? You are expected to study, have a career, live your life, all according to this unwritten rule. Well, I tell you, it is all bullshit. If at all you owe anybody anything, it is to yourself. I don't mean you shouldn't care about people. But tell me this—if you aren't happy with who you are, can you really do anything for others? Would you even want to?" Typically, his hands that he had been waving around while venting his feelings returned to his beads as soon as he was done. He took a couple of deep breaths.

"You are right," said Edward softly, "but Garrett, you are already successful. I have yet to make something of my life. How will I do that if I don't understand people?"

Garrett snorted. "Believe me kid, sometimes I don't understand people either. But I understand my work; I love it, and I am sure you love what you do, right?" He waited for Edward to acknowledge him and continued. "And I am sure you love your family too. Well, you need not bother about the rest; everybody is too busy with their own life to pay much attention to yours. Again, if you wish to understand people better it is okay—it's a lifelong process—but don't expect the same from them. As for me, yes, I am successful, but it wasn't easy. I lost clients because they thought I was too eccentric. But I made it anyway, without giving up who I was. I am sure you will too. Just be happy with yourself, kid, 'cause most people in this world aren't, even though they have done everything the supposedly right way. There's no harm in being different."

I smiled when I saw Edward smiling warmly. "So I'm okay?" he asked.

"You are more than okay, kid, you are great," beamed Garrett, and Edward actually laughed. It was joyful sound. Emmett and Rose were smiling broadly too. I felt as if I just had a meditation session—I felt so peaceful. I twined my fingers with Edward's and put my head on his shoulder for a moment.

Of course Garrett accepted Edward as a client. He said he would work out a contract and bring it to Forks, because he wanted to meet Edward's parents. He also assured us that the publishers would lap up his work, and then asked us what we planned to do with the rest of the day. Emmett announced that we were going to watch a Seahawks game. After we had lunch of course—because he had eaten so little for breakfast. Rose rolled her eyes.

"If you don't mind, I would like to take you for lunch," said Garrett, a question in his voice. We nodded because we really liked him. "And then, all of us can go to the game. I have a few extra tickets, courtesy of a client of mine."

Emmett had arranged for tickets too, but he said he could give them to somebody, so it was okay.

* * *

End note: I wanted to cover the whole day in this chapter, but Garrett turned out to be such a chatty fellow!


	21. Chapter 21

Hi! Thank you for liking Garrett and supporting his views! He is better for Edward than any therapist, isn't he?

Have you checked out the Make Me Laugh contest yet? Please do—it has some good entries, and more will be added as the days pass! I am participating too, but don't try to guess anything; just enjoy them and vote impartially.

Disclaimer: Same as usual.

Pre-read by the lovely TeamAllTwilight. She saves Emmett's name again and again, otherwise he would have bashed me by now!

* * *

Chapter-21

The rest of the day turned out to be equally interesting. How could it be otherwise, with Garrett and Emmett accompanying us?

For lunch, Garrett took us to an informal, family-type restaurant. With his unusual getup and preferences, I was expecting something outlandish, so I was surprised with his choice. Just shows you can't take anything for granted, can you?

When we were seated and had placed our orders, he excused himself for five minutes and went to the play area reserved for kids. We watched open-mouthed as he cooed at babies while their mothers smiled indulgently at him, and chatted with toddlers as if they were old friends. Five minutes turned into fifteen, and we could see that our order was coming up. Garrett finally tore himself away from the children surrounding him, touching his beads curiously and trying to hold him back by wrapping their little arms around his legs. He laughed at pointed at us, explaining that we were waiting for him. Finally they let him go.

"You seem to be really comfortable around children," I remarked when he was back in his place, smiling joyfully. I was curious about his family, but wasn't sure if he would mind asking. As it turned out, he didn't.

"I love to be with them—they are the best company hands down," he beamed, gulped down some water, and thanked the server for his promptness. The food looked delicious although it was nothing fancy, and we dug in enthusiastically. Garrett informed us that his wife ran a day care for the underprivileged kids of another neighbourhood, and even tutored the older ones when they required help with their studies.

"Kate is great with them," he smiled fondly, remembering. "Sometimes I drop by at her workplace, and I can see how much the kids love her. It fills a space in our life which might have been empty otherwise, after our children grew up and moved away." He could sense our curiosity I suppose, for he continued explaining that their son was a doctor and so was his wife, and currently they were working in a war-ravaged region of Africa. Their daughter, who was also married, lived in Los Angeles with her songwriter husband. She taught music at a prestigious school.

"The Silverlake Conservatory of Music—it is a non-profit organisation that gives the opportunity to learn music from excellent teachers at very reasonable prices. So you see, even though their careers are very different, they have learnt compassion from their mother and carried it forward."

He was obviously proud of his children. I suddenly yearned to do something that would make Charlie feel proud of me. It was difficult to imagine what would, though. He thought becoming a nursery school teacher was a lark for me. He loved his collection of guns and was impressed by people who could shoot well, but I had never learned. I found guns scary, honestly, and the very idea of holding one made me nauseous. I sighed inwardly. Perhaps I would always be a disappointment to him.

Emmett began talking about fulfilling his dream of running the McCarty Fitness Factory so as to maintain and upgrade its reputation, with Rose at his side. He did have two siblings, but none of them was interested in the family business. Rose looked a little shy but pleased. She was good at Math, so she hoped she could help with the financial side. Perhaps she'd study Accounting at the Peninsula College at Port Angeles while Emmett completed his degree in Seattle. Hearing her talk in such a practical manner was…strange, and slightly unreal.

Our seats in the stadium were really good, and we had a great time at the game. Edward seemed a little disconcerted by the huge crowd and the noise level. But once he was sure that nobody was paying any attention to him, he relaxed. He had watched quite a few games on TV, so he was able to answer whatever questions I put to him. Emmett and he had a few discussions on the lack of this and that technique in several players, which Garrett joined on and off. I was pleased when Edward cheered loudly for the home team.

We waited quietly while people were spilling out of the stadium. Neither Edward nor I was comfortable being jostled, so we only left after the crowd had thinned a bit. Therefore I was surprised when I felt somebody pressing his hands into my hips from behind. As soon as I stopped and turned, Edward stopped too, and so did the others in our group.

"What's the matter, Bella?"

I stared at the pimply-faced high-school kid who seemed to be the culprit. He was probably a couple of years younger to me, which surprised me. "I think you should keep your hands to yourself," I said in a level tone. I didn't want Emmett bashing his face in. But the idiot glared back at me defiantly.

"You should walk faster then. It's not my fault that somebody pushed me from behind." He put his hands on his hips to emphasize his point. Emmett dragged him to the side so that people could pass, and all of us followed.

"Did he push you Bella?" Edward asked. I nodded.

"He almost fell into me," I reported. "Maybe somebody _did _push him…" Edward put his arm around me in a comforting gesture.

"Did you apologize to her?" he asked the boy, who narrowed his eyes in reply and shrugged in an irritating manner. I was almost sure Edward wasn't a violent person, but still I felt uncomfortable with the exchange.

"Edward, let's just—"

"No Bella, he should apologize to you, even if he didn't mean to push you. That's common civility," he insisted. The boy squirmed, but Emmett held his wrist firmly in his hand. He settled for belligerence.

"Listen to your girlfriend, dude. I already told her somebody pushed me. You don't want to start any trouble here, do you?"

Edward suddenly had a very grown-up expression on his face, his eyes boring into the boy's.

"She is my _wife_," he stressed, "and I will not allow anybody to be rude to her. Now say you are sorry and you can leave. Or do you want us to follow you home and tell your parents what a _nice_ boy you are?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Leave my parents out of this. They will probably ground me for a week. I am sorry, okay? I really didn't mean it."

Emmett smiled and let him go, and he scampered off. Garrett raised an eyebrow at Edward.

"You handled it very well, Edward," he commented, but Edward just looked puzzled.

"He _should_ have apologised, right?" he asked, looking at all of us.

Emmett smiled. "Definitely, but I am impressed because you made him do it without flying off the handle." Then he chuckled. "You scared him with the following home bit, I think!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Of course. Can you imagine how mom would react if it got to her that any of us had been rude, that too to a girl?" Emmett shuddered and nodded quickly. Rose laughed.

We said goodbye to Garrett then and returned to our hotel, where we had a light supper, since we already each had a hot dog each at the stadium. Emmett promised us he would leave in an hour. He would return in the morning, and we would leave for Forks together.

-JRFM-

I came out of the bathroom after having a much-needed shower, wondering if I would find the TV on and Edward focused on another bare-breasted beauty, but he seemed to be in a different mood. First of all, he wanted to take a shower as well, confessing he felt quite dirty and sweaty. See, I told you how boys' minds work!

When he came out, looking and smelling good enough to eat, his expression was still serious. He sat near me on the small but very plush, very purple loveseat by the window and put his arm around my shoulders. He seemed to be deep in thought. I sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Bella, why did you look sad today?" he asked quietly, rubbing his cheek with mine. I smiled at the silly gesture but was puzzled.

"When was I sad, Edward? I had a wonderful day—I was happy all the time." I turned and kissed his cheek. What? I could not help it!

His cheek lifted in a smile. "While we were having lunch, with Garrett," he clarified, his fingers combing my still-damp hair. It felt so good; I almost lost the thread of conversation. "Huh?" I asked, half-asleep. "Oh yes, lunch. But I still don't remember being sad."

"Well, maybe not sad, just…thoughtful," he qualified. "When Garrett said that he was proud of his children, you had this pensive expression on your face, like you were somewhere else."

"Oh, right, that. I was thinking of what I could do to make Charlie proud of me." Of course I remembered, and of course my mouth drooped.

"That, that's how you looked then," declared Edward, then frowned. "Why do you think Charlie is not proud of you now? He must be!"

"Why?" I asked, dejected. "I have done nothing in my life as of yet, nothing special I mean. I wasn't even born a boy, so that he could hand over his business to me. He must be so disappointed—" Here my wallowing was cut off as Edward placed his hand on my mouth and shut me up.

"Not being born a boy is not your fault, Bella. And who is to say boys always do their parents proud? Look at me—the eldest son of a drug lord, interested in nothing but making sketches and writing stories. Didn't you say what I did was more important than what Jasper did?" I was surprised by the vehemence of his tone. I was also flattered that he had given so much importance to my words.

"But you had a horrible accident, Edward. Charlie told me Carlisle had high expectations of you before. You would have—" But he shook his head emphatically.

"I don't think so Bella. Even if there had been no accident, I couldn't have done the expected—I hate drugs. Maybe it was a good thing I had that accident; nobody expects me to take over the business now!" he winked at me and grinned openly.

I am sure my expression resembled nothing more than a fish. Then I laughed loudly. "I never thought I would ever see you joke about _that_! I am glad, of course, that you see it in that light. So, you think I don't need to do anything special to impress Charlie?"

Edward rubbed my neck gently. "Bella, I have known you for a very short time, but I do know that you are a kind, generous, strong girl. All you need to do is to be yourself, and I am sure your father will be impressed with the daughter he has raised." I teased him that he sounded a bit like Garrett, and he laughed. "Maybe his advice has made me think good things," he admitted, "but Bella, since the wedding you have been encouraging me to do better. Now I want to know—what is your dream? What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Um, I don't know really," I mused, touched by his concern. "I thought about being a nursery teacher, but I am not a hundred percent sure. It will be something to do with children though; I like being around them."

"Hmm, maybe something like Kate is doing?" he suggested, but I shook my head doubtfully.

"Something more than that, really-like really solving their problems, you know? Like being a counselor, maybe? I don't know yet."

He made a soothing sound. "There's time to think about that; don't worry so much." And he turned a little and began to knead my shoulders. I closed my eyes and moaned with pleasure. His hands stopped abruptly, making me open my eyes and pout.

"Sorry," he muttered, starting the motion again, "that sound you made…it was very distracting."

I frowned, which was nearly impossible when Edward was making me feel so good. "Distracting how?" I managed in between a couple of moans. His hands slipped a little.

"I don't know—it made me feel funny in the stomach, I guess, like I am sitting in a Ferris wheel and it's starting to go down. Almost like…when I kiss you."

My brain suddenly woke up and connected the dots in a hurry, and I smiled, feeling a little naughty. I tilted his chin, bent forward and caressed his lips with mine. "Like this?" I whispered. He gulped and held my shoulders slightly tighter.

"Yes, like that," he answered. This time I captured his lower lip between mine, making him shudder. His hands wandered on to my back, where they sneaked under my tank top and stroked, even as his tongue sneaked into my mouth and stroked mine. The Ferris wheel was going down very quickly indeed! I pulled at his shirt until he got the hint and yanked it off, and then I had access to all the glorious skin covering his back and chest. His hands were as eager to explore as mine, so I got rid of my top in a quick, bold move. Last night our touches had been tentative, but tonight we had the confidence born of that hesitation, and tried to get as close to each-other as was possible in that small space. The light hair on his chest gave that closeness a texture as he crushed me to him, and the next moment I found myself straddling him and moving back and forth where I could clearly feel his excitement. His mouth left mine, only to descend to my breasts and attend to them one by one, punctuated by a few groans. As that good, good, goood feeling built inside me, I heard him groan my name twice, and fell through a blissful haze, the only reality being Edward's hair clutched in my fists.

When I finally opened my eyes, it was to find Edward smiling sleepily at me. He blinked a few times and yawned, hastily covering his mouth.

"I want to dream of this, Bella," he murmured as we shakily got up from the loveseat. "Do you think…can we sleep without our shirts?"

* * *

End Note: Can they? And what dreams will Edward dream then? Did you think Garrett would be so fond of children and a complete family man, or an eccentric bachelor? What should Bella's career be?


	22. Chapter 22

Hi everyone! Thank you for your invaluable suggestions regarding Bella's career choices. I am sure she is going to follow one of them!

Most people had taken Garrett for an eccentric bachelor, but everybody was happy that he had a family and loved kids.

And yeah, all of you seem to be happy with the no-shirt-while-sleeping proposal. ;)

Disclaimer: All things 'Twilight' belong to SM.

A hundred thanks for TeamAllTwilight, my wonderful beta!

* * *

Chapter-22

Unfortunately, sleeping half-naked didn't help Edward with the nightmares.

We had stumbled to the bed like a pair of drunks after our unexpected but very successful make-out session. I felt a little wicked, remembering how I had turned his mood from serious to…not-so-serious in a moment. I guessed he was like any other boy in some things, even though completely inexperienced. It was something to remember for the future.

Of course Edward had to go change his underwear and clean up, but then he was back, spooning me from behind, his nose buried in my hair. I slept deeply and peacefully until his ramblings woke me up again. They were not happy ones. He seemed to be saying something like 'Ru—un' or maybe 'Re-en'; it was difficult to understand. When he began to sweat and thrash around, I shook him and called him and finally woke him up.

I did take the precaution of moving aside, just in case we head-butted again. But this time he woke up without any movement. It was rather surreal, honestly, to see his eyes open suddenly and just stare into mine. Then he smiled his familiar, adorable smile, and I breathed again. There was a box of tissues on the small bedside table, and I took one and wiped the sweat away. Then I chucked it into the wastebasket just outside the bathroom. Yay—good shot Bella—I cheered myself internally, and turned back to Edward. He was gazing at me as if seeing me for the first time. I shrugged and raised an eyebrow in a wordless question.

"You are so much like her, Bella," he mouthed, so softly that I had to ask him to repeat it. And even then I could not make head or tail of it.

"Like who, Edward?" I asked, my hand going to his hair as he raised his head and placed it in my lap. He closed his eyes for a second and sighed contentedly as I fingered his hair.

"I don't know, Bella: I have never seen her. But her voice is like yours, and the way you care for me…yeah, same way."

I frowned. He wasn't making much sense. "Edward, who are you…okay, _how_ do you know this—this voice and this caring thing? What do you know about her?"

He smiled, seemingly half-asleep already. "I don't know; maybe a dream. She was nice."

"You said something about running, I think, or maybe rain, just now—in your sleep, you know."

He slipped off my lap and pulled me down so we lay face-to-face. "Why would I talk about running, Bella? Even if my dream was related to the accident, I should be saying 'swim', right?" he grinned playfully. Suddenly his eyes shifted below my neck and his hand moved to cover a breast. "Wow, you did sleep without a shirt. I thought I had imagined it!"

I laughed and swatted at his hand. Then I became serious. "Edward, I wish sleeping with me prevented those nightmares." But he shook his head and pressed a kiss lightly on my lips.

"I don't mind the nightmares any more, Bella," he said and pulled me closer, "as long as you are the one waking me up."

-JRFM-

When I woke up in the morning, his…thing was poking me in the back. I could feel it even through the pajamas he wore. It all felt a little awkward, including having my unclothed back pressed against his chest, with his arms securely around me. I could feel his breath rustle my hair in a rhythmic pattern.

I thought back to the day we had got married. Going by the calendar, it had been only a few days, but how those days had transformed my life! I knew now that I did not love Jasper, and as soon as we were back in Forks, I was going to tell him that. It would be hurtful, but it had to be done. I would apologize to him, even though he had turned all jealous and possessive. That brought to my mind another potential problem—how to make sure that Edward would not be affected by all the drama with Jasper. I was sure there would be some drama, for Jasper wasn't one to take rejection quietly. Perhaps I should take him out in the garden? The place was huge, and even if he yelled a bit, nobody would hear him.

What if he came back and told Edward everything, though? It would be a very mean thing to do, but after the things he had said about Edward and to him, it would not be improbable. Should I tell my foolish tale to Edward first then? I winced, imagining his reaction. He had just started to find his feet, both in his family and in the outside world. How would my confession affect him? Would it disturb his plans to become a professional writer? Perhaps it would be better to wait for a few days more, until he was more confident in himself and in us.

Us—that brought a smile to my lips. What had seemed to be the biggest mistake of my life had turned out to be the best thing I had done as yet. Perhaps it was fate that led Rose to the wrong room that night. I shuddered, thinking what would have happened if I had actually made it to Jasper's room. He might love me, but his love was all wrong, at least for me. I needed Edward—his kindness, his generosity, his thoughtfulness, and perhaps most of all—his ability to laugh at himself. He accepted whatever life dealt to him, and he wasn't bitter about it. I needed that optimism, that ability to accept and move on. Was I in love with him? Honestly, I didn't know. This time, I didn't want to leap without thinking it over. Was it love when you needed someone beyond everything else in your life? Or was it just being selfish? What was my place in _his_ life, exactly?

My musing was interrupted by Edward yawning and stretching behind me. His hands began to roam all over my front, and I felt him grow harder. A thought flashed in my mind that though I had felt him and even come against him, I had not seen him yet. Suddenly, I wanted to. I had heard about _that_ part of a man so many times, and been curious, but slightly disgusted too. However, I could not feel any disgust where Edward was concerned, only excitement. But before I could do anything about it, he groaned and got up, muttering that he was going to the bathroom. I stared at him, surprised.

"Um, don't you want to…you know, make out?" It was the best I could think of. Pathetic, Bella.

He pouted. "Of course I do Bella, but…I don't think we have time to get our laundry done before we leave, do we? And I wouldn't want to pack these boxers unwashed." He sighed in exasperation. "It's a nuisance, every time."

"Oh." I took a deep breath and plunged in. "In that case, would you mind if I…?" I gestured to the bathroom.

"What?" he queried, forehead wrinkled in puzzlement.

"Um, Iwouldliketowatchyou," I mumbled, so fast that even I wasn't sure exactly what I had said.

Edward looked completely at sea. "Bella," he said slowly, "I am not sure I understood that. Could you please repeat it?"

By then my courage had deserted me completely. "Nothing, it's nothing; you go do what you have to do." I pulled my legs up, crossed my arms over them and put my head on my knees.

I felt the bed dip as Edward came back and sat beside me. He put his arm around my waist and knocked his head against mine, very lightly. "Hey, what happened? Tell me, Bella."

I raised my head reluctantly. "It's embarrassing."

"But you said we could discuss anything as long as I didn't tell anybody else," he reminded me, and then rubbed his cheek with mine, making me smile. "That's better," he remarked, pleased. "You can tell me anything, Bella, anything."

I swallowed. "It's just that…I have never seen a man's…" I jerked my head to indicate his lap. "And I was wondering if I could…see yours. If you don't mind, of course."

Edward scratched his head once, but then he seemed to get my meaning. "That's it? You want to see my penis?" he asked, face lit with relief. I nodded, feeling all kinds of stupid. Trust Edward not to beat about the bush!

He shook his head. "I couldn't imagine what had happened! You got me worried, you know." He stood up and slid his pajamas and boxers down his lean hips and muscled thighs in a fluid movement. "There! Look all you want to!"

Was there some kind of etiquette to be followed while staring at a naked man? Perhaps it was rude, but I could not help my reaction at his very unexpected action. I probably resembled a cartoon with my eyes wide and mouth open in astonishment. I also could not help my eyes being drawn to the place where his legs joined his torso. It seemed that all the conversation had made it go from hard to a semi-hard one. But as if it had eyes and could see me staring at it hopefully, it began to grow bigger immediately.

I remembered a few girls describing their boyfriends' penises as awesome or even beautiful. While I wasn't sure they were the appropriate adjectives for this part of male anatomy, I definitely thought it was interesting, being a new thing for me.

"Wow! It's so big!" I blurted out. Edward just shrugged.

"Is it?"

"Well, I have nothing to compare it with, but yes, it seems pretty big to me." He was taking it so casually that I began to feel much more comfortable. "Um, may I…touch it?"

He shrugged again. "Sure, go ahead."

Tentatively I reached out and stroked it. The way it twitched had me retreating as if it was going to bite me though. Edward laughed, and it was so infectious that I giggled too.

"It moved!" I said in between giggles, half-fascinated and half-wary.

"Yes, it did," agreed Edward. Then he looked at me earnestly. "Could you touch it again? It felt good."

I nodded and stroked his penis again. "The girls at school called it cock or dick," I announced randomly. Edward groaned and put his hand on mine and began to move it.

"You can call it whatever you want," he said as his breath sped up, "just don't stop doing that. God, it never feels this good when I do it…yes, just like that." He increased the speed and the pressure, and suddenly his face had this pained, beautiful expression, eyes closed and mouth half-open, and my hand was full of…something.

"Yuck," I exclaimed, unsure what to do with the…stuff in my hand. Edward's eyes flew open at the sound.

"Sorry, sorry," he tried to control his breath, "it happened so quickly…" He pulled a few tissues from the box and wiped my hand, and then his own, his expression having gone from blissful to apologetic in a second. "Let's go wash our hands properly in the bathroom."

We washed our hands, and I wished he wouldn't feel so guilty about it. It was unintentional, even though it had given me quite a shock. I smiled at him and elbowed his ribs.

"At least your boxers were saved," I teased him. He looked at me and chuckled, his face sunny again. He took a towel and dried my hands gently. Then he bent his head and whispered in my ear.

"Bella, I want to see you too."

* * *

End Note: This was so much fun to write! But don't let it distract you from the story. You have a few clues now as to who or what Edward could be talking about-make a guess, people!

Also, do you think Bella should wait for a few days before telling Edward the truth about 'that night'?

Have a good weekend!


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you everybody, for making this little tale a success. We have five hundred plus reviews, and I am ecstatic!

I am so grateful to all of you who took time to answer my questions in the previous chapter. You gave me some seriously good ideas.

Being embarrassed is something we learn from others. Edward hasn't been influenced that way yet, hence the boxer-dropping episode.

Disclaimer: SM owns 'Twilight'. I own Dropward!

Pre-read by the awesome TeamAllTwilight.

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Chapter-23

"Bella, I want to see you too."

Hours later, when we were on our way home, the phrase kept on ringing in my ears. When he had made that request, I had tried not to show how embarrassed I felt. But Edward had understood anyway and assured me he didn't mean right then; he would wait until I was comfortable with the idea. Then we had taken turns to shower and get dressed, and went downstairs to meet Rose and Emmett for breakfast.

Both were full of secret smiles. But when I had arched an eyebrow at Rose, she had just blushed and silently mouthed,"Later". Edward had noticed nothing unusual and chirped about how hungry he was for breakfast. Emmett had donned a fake-innocent look and asked him if he had not had _anything_ to eat since he had woken up. I wanted to throw cereal or coffee or something at him, but it would have only puzzled Edward more, so I just pretended to be deaf to the innuendo.

Edward was in a good mood, discussing how wonderful the meeting with Garrett was, but also admitting that he missed Esme. Although they had spoken on the phone once, he had not given any details about the meeting, saying he wanted to tell her in person. The rest of us had also followed his lead and refused to spoil the surprise he so much wanted to give his parents. Although I was not sure about Carlisle—he hardly ever showed any emotion, preferring to observe all of us. As for Jasper, I thought we would be lucky if he cracked a smile at Edward's news.

It seemed that we reached home in much less time than it had taken us to travel to Seattle, or maybe it was because my mind was too busy thinking and trying to make a decision. Edward talked excitedly for a while, then gave a huge yawn and admitted that maybe he had too much for breakfast. He laid down his head, using my lap as a pillow, and I began to move my fingers in his hair. He went to sleep instantly.

When the house came into view, the first thing I noticed was Esme standing on the front porch, her smile wide and welcoming. As soon as I saw her, my mind quietened down—I knew what to do.

As if Edward could sense our proximity to home, he woke up, rubbing his eyes and looking adorably confused for a moment before he understood where we were. The car stopped, he jumped out before the driver could even touch our door and ran over to his mother. The next second he had lifted her a foot in the air and was spinning her around.

"Edward!" Esme cried, laughing but perhaps scared of both of them tumbling to the ground. "Stop it, please!"

He did, placing her back on the ground gently, but held both her hands in his still. His laugh was full of pure joy. "Mom, I did it, I did it! Garrett accepted me as a client, and he assured me my books will be published and people will like them. I will be somebody, Mom!"

Esme was smiling even though tears began to flow from her eyes. She hugged him hard and then pulled him down so she could kiss his forehead. "Oh, Edward, I am so happy, so happy!"

By now I was standing beside them, and so were Rose and Emmett, who had arrived a minute after us. I could also spy Mrs Cope standing just inside the doorway, beaming at us and wiping her cheeks. Evidently she had heard Edward's news.

Edward looked at Esme earnestly. "But are you proud of me, Mom? I know writing stories and making sketches is not—"

His voice was so hopeful that it broke my heart. Esme cut him off by placing her hand on his mouth. "Hush, sweetie, don't you ever think that what you do is not important. I will always be proud of you, whatever you choose to take up as your career." She took a deep breath and continued. "I am sorry I did not encourage you earlier. It's not as if I could not see your talent, but I was afraid of losing you again. I thought you would move away, once you were successful, to some big city, and I would hardly ever see you. And if something happened to you there…" She shook her head as if shaking the thought away. "I know now that I was wrong. You should not spend your life here just because I want to have you close—"

This time it was Edward who put his hand on her mouth. "Mom, are you kicking me out of this town once I am successful?" he asked, eyes shining with humor. Emmett laughed, and so did Esme, once she got that it was a joke.

"Of course not!"

"Well, then I am not going anywhere. Maybe Bella and I will move into another house, try to be more independent…but that's about it. I haven't talked with her about it, but…" he shrugged and looked at me rather sheepishly. I automatically glanced at Esme, only to see that she was giving me a look heavy with questions. Of course, I realized, I had not updated her on my feelings after our last conversation, when I had told her that I was still undecided on staying with Edward. Now she must be wondering if she should be happy that Edward was talking of moving to a new house, or dissuade him for now. I settled for distracting him.

"When did you begin to think of this, Edward? I never knew!"

He bit his lower lip, which was extremely distracting to _me_. But then he mentioned something that gave me the perfect opening to change the topic.

"Um, I think it was while we were visiting the aquarium. We had had that meeting with Vera, and she had praised the books, so I was feeling quite upbeat about the future. And well, it just set me thinking if we could manage on our own, you know? Not right now, but some time later…"

"Oh, is that what you were thinking about when you walked into that girl—Tanya, wasn't it?" I looked at Esme and she took it right up.

"What girl? Did you know her before?"

Edward looked flustered. "No Mom, I didn't—"

"But she knew him quite well Esme," I butted in, ignoring his discomfort as well as Emmett's what-the-hell-are-you-doing look. Rose seemed to be surprised too, but perhaps she sensed there was a reason for my odd behavior, for she kept quiet. I hurried on. "She hugged and kissed him and talked of the good times they had had together—"

Of course Emmett could not hold his tongue any longer. "Bella, I told you they had dated only twice. Why are you going on and on about it? Don't tell me you are jealous of her!"

I smiled impishly. "Of course I am not jealous. I just wanted to rile Edward. Esme, you should have seen his face while she was declaring him the love of her life. It was like she was the black widow and he was her prey—so funny!"

Everybody laughed, even Edward, but then he suddenly grabbed me and pushed me against the wall, trapping against it. "I will show you what funny is!" he yelled, and started tickling me mercilessly. I tried my best to squirm away, but he kept me caged between his legs, laughing maniacally all the while. Finally I gave up fighting him and cried 'uncle'.

He ceased his pseudo-attack at once and wrapped his arms around me, both of us leaning against the wall and trying not to laugh any more, our eyes streaming and chests heaving. He wiped his tears and then mine, and as he looked into my eyes, something inexplicable happened. I forgot that we were standing on the front porch of his parents' house, with his mother and sister watching us. All I could see was those honest, loving, grass-green eyes of his, and then they seemed to be coming closer. I closed my eyes and felt a soft pressure on my lips, then another and another. I tasted the mint he had been chewing after the breakfast, and shared the freshness of his breath. It made me feel as if I should explore this minty taste more, so I used my tongue and did it.

And then there was a loud and irritating whistle. "Get a room," shouted Emmett, and I reluctantly came back to this stupid world where people didn't think twice before interrupting my perfect bubble with Edward. I opened my eyes and saw him smiling shyly at me. Only then I realized that Esme was still there and we had given her quite a show, kissing each-other like that. She however seemed to be very pleased.

"Well," she rubbed her hands and announced, "lunch is ready. Let's go have it!"

-JRFM-

Lunch was great. Edward and Emmett filled Esme and Mrs Cope in with a description of nearly everything they had done in Seattle. Be it the meeting with Vera, the trip to the aquarium, the very unconventional conversation with Garrett or the game afterwards—they didn't miss a thing. Esme as well as Mrs Cope listened attentively, smiling and commenting appropriately. It was clear that they doted on the boys and were enjoying the whole experience on an emotional level. However, the best thing about lunch was receiving the news that Jasper had gone to Las Vegas with his friends for a week. Apparently he had had enough of handling business non-stop, and needed a vacation where he could let his hair down. When Esme mentioned it, seeming very casual, I barely stopped myself from thanking the heavens aloud. A whole week of peace and quiet, with nobody jumping out of corners and questioning me, and nobody taunting Edward with thinly veiled barbs! Plus it meant I had some time to confess my idiocy to Edward. Suddenly I felt a ton lighter.

After the lunch was over and Mrs Cope had left, Esme asked me if I would like to stay behind and help her clean up. Edward immediately volunteered his help too, but she shooed him away, saying that she wanted to spend some 'girl time' with me. She was crafty enough to make this statement only after Rose and Emmett had gone off to spend some quality time of their own. Edward pouted a little, but she unashamedly bribed him with the promise of a fresh batch of monster cookies if he would leave us alone for an hour. After getting her to promise that there would be enough M&Ms in the cookies, and bestowing an unexpected kiss upon me, he left, talking to himself about a new idea for a book.

We loaded the dishwasher quickly and set about preparing Edward's beloved cookies. When we had lined all the baking sheets with the dough and set the timer, Esme made two cups of lemon tea and sat them on the island. We pulled a chair each, and she turned to me with a look of expectation.

"I couldn't ask anybody else this question, Bella," she began, her eyes happy and yet apprehensive. "But how was the trip for Edward? I don't mean the meetings and the game—how did he take being there? Did he have any problem adjusting with so many people around?"

I shook my head. Now that I knew more about Edward, I could understand why Esme continued to worry about him. "Not at all. I mean, of course he didn't _like_ the crowds, but he managed fine. Even when we met two nitwits who used to be his classmates, he remained quite composed, and you already know he enjoyed the game. Plus he handled that little punk in a very mature manner. And the way he connected with Garrett…that was amazing. I think that really made a big difference to his outlook; he has been so upbeat ever since!"

To my surprise Esme took my hand and squeezed it hard. "_You _have made the greatest difference in Edward, Bella. I am sure meeting Garrett and having his approval counts, but ever since you have come into his life, he has been different. I won't say that he is more like he used to be before the accident, because that Edward was again different, but he is definitely more alive. He is more aware of himself and the world around him. And this trip to Seattle—I was so worried, but now I am glad you pushed it. Thank you, Bella, for being in his life."

I took a sip from my delicate, bone-china cup, feeling that something hard was lodged in my throat. "Yes, about that—I want to tell him, Esme, but—"

To my utter astonishment her face crumpled as if she was about to cry. "Bella, please don't be so hasty. I know I had told you not to stay with him out of pity, but please, give him more time. He is doing so well right now. If you leave him, I don't know—"

"Wait, wait, wait," I cried, seeing the light behind her apparent craziness. "When did I say anything about leaving him? I meant to say that I want to tell him the truth about the night I sneaked into his room. I want him to know that even though our marriage was not based on honesty and love on my part, everything has changed now. I really like him a lot and…" I took a deep breath and continued, "I would like to start again, with everything in the open this time, and make it into a success, hopefully. But Esme, I am so scared!"

Her death grip on my hand relaxed and I instinctively flexed it, feeling the blood flow back into my poor fingers. "Oh, I am so sorry," she apologised, letting my hand go completely. "I jumped to the wrong conclusion, didn't I? I just thought—but what are _you_ scared of?"

I looked at her as if she had grown a third eye on her forehead. "Esme, I lied to him. Well, I lied to everybody, but it concerns him the most. What I did was wrong on so many levels—not just getting married to him but also continuing to meet Jasper, to actually plan for a divorce—I am not sure he will be able to forgive me. He is too polite to show me the door, but…he will think I am a horrible person, Esme!"

Esme shook her head, sniffling a little. "What a pair we are, crying over things that haven't even happened!" She sighed wistfully and spoke in a soft voice, "Bella, I can't pretend that I don't wish everything had happened differently. That Edward had never had that accident, and you two had met in a normal way, fallen in love and then got married—but it is what is, right? Now, I am proud of you for wanting to tell Edward everything, and of course I can't predict the outcome, but I can't see it ending badly. He might feel angry and hurt, but I am sure you will be able to pacify him eventually. If necessary, I will have a talk with him as well. And there's no hurry—you can wait a few days if you want of course—"

"I must tell him before Jasper returns," I blurted, interrupting her. I hastened to explain, "I want to make it clear to Jasper that I do not love him and he should not have any expectations in that direction. It will hurt him, but…what else can I do?"

"Hmm," she said noncommittally, "I am still not sure he loves you, but anyway, it has to be done. But why do you have to—oh," her eyes widened, "you think Jasper will tell Edward if you don't?"

"I can't take that chance," I drummed my fingers on the table. "That will hurt Edward worse than if I tell him, don't you think?"

She nodded. The timer beeped, and we pulled out the cookies and placed them on a couple of racks to cool down. "I am surprised Edward isn't already here, waiting impatiently for them," she remarked with a laugh. I agreed with her, and then went up, curious to see what he was up to.

Edward was at his desk, sketching away, his tongue peeking out a little as he frowned and erased something. So focused was he that he did not notice me entering the room and coming closer. Only when I put a hand on his shoulder did he look up and blink. Then he smiled that shy smile of his that always made me feel weak in the knees.

"What are you doing, Edward? Are you starting something new?" I asked, recalling what he was muttering before leaving the kitchen. In reply, he handed me a neat stack of smooth paper sheets.

"Look Bella, I have made you the hero of this book."

I blinked in surprise as I rifled through the sheets. Yes, it was a new story, involving a world full of lost souls, and a spirit who came to save them. He had already done almost ten pictures, with a commentary running above them. And the spirit, named Soul-la, was very much like the picture he had drawn of me sleeping, except that she was awake in these pictures, of course.

"Edward, I don't understand—why have you—I mean, you put me in a book? Why?" I stuttered and stammered, trying to think logically and failing.

His smile widened. "Bella, you are the hero of this book because you are so much like her. You came into my life and sort of woke me up, you know? Before that, I was like a man inside a cage—I could see everything but not participate in it; I did not even know if I could. I knew things but I could not express them; it was like leading a half-life. You have made my life complete, you have saved me Bella, from that twilight where my mind had imprisoned itself. I can't imagine my life without you now—and I love you so much."

There was a moment of shock and incredulity, and then it sank in that this beautiful, wonderful man had just confessed his love for me. To my horror and probably Edward's, I burst into tears.

* * *

End Note: Oh no, what will poor Edward think? He told her she was his hero, and she is crying!

I was going to divide this into two chapters, but my beta convinced me it worked better as a single, so you can thank her for this mid-week bonus! :)


	24. Chapter 24

Thank you, for reading this story and showering your love upon it! I got so many reviews from anxious readers asking if Edward will be angry and unforgiving, and hoping he would not. I meant to update this on the weekend, but something came up.

Disclaimer: 'Twilight' belongs to SM, but it's okay; I have Sweetward!

Pre-read by my ever-patient fandom-friend, TeamAllTwilight. (And yes, she chose this term, saying she is not skilled enough to be a beta. I think she is great! )

* * *

Chapter-24

Edward stared at me in complete incomprehension for a moment, and then stood up so quickly that the chair went back flying. He ran to the door and threw it open, yelling, "Mom!" The next second he was back with me, wrapping me in his arms and trying to soothe me with a gentle rocking movement. "Shush, shush, Bella," he murmured, his voice full of worry. But it only made me cry harder.

Esme rushed in, her usually neat hair flying and her expression panicked. She took in the scene and tried to hug me, but Edward didn't let me go. He kept on patting me lightly on the back, and more than once I felt him kiss my hair. Finally he helped me to the sofa and sat us down. Esme took the seat on my other side.

"Bella, what happened, what is the matter?" asked Esme, taking my hand in hers in an attempt to comfort me. She looked at Edward, but he shook his head in an I-have-no-idea gesture. I tried to control my sobs and catch my breath in an attempt to speak, but I could only hiccough loudly.

Emmett and Rose ran in, looking worried. Rose took one look at me and sent Emmett to fetch me a glass of cold water. After I had taken a few sips, I managed a few halting words, sniffling in between. "I am such a horrible person, Edward. I don't deserve your love, let alone being a hero. Please—please forgive me."

Edward frowned, probably trying to make sense of my words. Rose handed me a tissue, and I dabbed at my eyes and nose with it. I drank some more water.

"Why would you say that, Bella?" he asked gently. "I just told you what you are to me, didn't I?"

"Yes, and that made me realize that you are too good for me," I said, hiccoughing again. "Oh Edward, when you come to know what I have done, you will hate me. You won't ever want to see my face, and I won't blame you for it."

To my surprise, he smiled and shook his head. "I don't hate anybody, Bella, and I certainly can't hate you. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Tell me, Bella."

Esme asked if the three of them should leave, but I wanted them to stay if Edward didn't mind. He said it was okay with him. I took a deep breath and began.

Edward listened quietly. Esme and Rose said their parts too. Emmett, who didn't seem all that surprised, confessed that Rose had just been telling him everything; at least, everything that she knew.

I finally looked at Edward, dreading his reaction. I was already aware how sweet and easy-going he was, but really, even he must have a limit. How could he forgive me when our whole relationship had begun with a lie? To my astonishment, he seemed somewhat sad but not the least bit angry.

"Bella," he said, stroking my hair, "I want to ask you a question first. Do you love me now?"

I did not hesitate even for a second. "Yes," I replied firmly, "I love you; I have for many days now, even though I had not realized it then. But Edward, I lied to you!"

"You lied to me because you wanted to marry Jasper, right?" I nodded. "And you wanted to marry him because you loved him—you could not help that, Bella. People can't help whom they love."

I stared at him in amazement. "But I did a lot of things wrong, Edward. Being in love didn't give me the right to deceive someone else, and now I am not even sure that what I felt for him was love. It's not that simple!"

"It _is_ that simple, Bella," he insisted, "and…you made a mistake. You were scared of your father, and you took the only way out you saw then. It wasn't your intention to destroy my life, I am sure. Why don't you look at what it led to? You have been nothing but good to me, in fact you have transformed my life completely. Even if I never recover my memories, I am happy now—I feel like I have everything!"

"But Edward," I went on, incredulity coloring my tone, "I was thinking of—"

"Enough!" he laughed. "Shouldn't I be the one hammering in your guilt? Here I am trying to tell you that I am not angry with you, and you are bent upon flagellating yourself. Stop it, Bella. As long as you love me now, it doesn't matter what you felt before." Suddenly his expression became uncertain. "You are sure of this, aren't you? Jasper—"

I shook my head furiously. "No, no, I am sure of this. And I am sorry I am going to hurt Jasper—I should never have told him that I loved him when I was already married. I gave him false hope. Right now I think it was more the newness than anything else—I just wanted him because he was there. But I realized very soon how wrong we were for each-other. _You _are the one who is just right for me, Edward, you have made my life complete—no, you have completed me, made me a better person. I can't imagine my life without you!"

He grinned widely. "Well, then I don't see a problem. I am not letting you go anywhere!" Then he sobered down. "As for Jasper, yes, it will hurt him, but perhaps he too will realize that he wouldn't have been happy with you, and you with him. If you want, I will speak with him."

I shook my head. "No, I have to apologize to him, but…will you just be there when I do that? I will need your support, and maybe he will too."

He nodded. "Of course I will be with you, always."

Rose apologized as well, explaining that she had been carried away by the romance of the situation and the daring of the plan I had made. She could hardly look him in the eye. Edward smiled and assured her that he could see her point of view. She had had such a sheltered upbringing that she could not have resisted the thrill of smuggling me into her brother's room, especially when she believed in a happily-ever-after for us. Esme smiled through her tears and remarked that both Rose and Edward seemed to have grown up suddenly.

"Next thing I know you will have careers and will be planning kids of your own," she said in an indulgent tone. I blushed, and so did Rose, but Emmett laughed and gave her a high-five. Edward was the only one who gave her a serious answer.

"I certainly want to do well enough with my books, but as for kids, we will wait until Bella gets her degree at least, maybe choose a career as well." He stopped abruptly and glanced at me uncertainly. "Shouldn't I have told Mom about not having kids for a few years, Bella?"

I must have looked puzzled, for he reminded me of our conversation in our hotel in Seattle, after he had informed Emmett and Rose that we were waiting. "You told me that I should not talk about anything that we do or don't do in our bedroom." By now my face felt hot enough to fry an egg upon it, and he noticed it. "Oh no, I have done it again, haven't I? Sorry, Bella."

He looked so woebegone that I began to giggle even through my embarrassment. Rose and Esme joined me, and then Emmett let loose a guffaw. "Dude, things can never be dull with you around—that is for sure. Now, we have had enough of the heavy, I think. What say we go to the pool and swim a few laps? It's quite warm today!"

All of us agreed that this was a good idea. Em and Rose went to get their swimwear, and I dug out my two-piece turquoise suit from the back of my wardrobe. When I came out of the bathroom after changing, I found Edward pulling on his swimming trunks, dark green with smileys all over, his back to me. Evidently he had decided to take advantage of my absence, but not been very quick about it. I had a brief glimpse of his pale ass before it disappeared inside the thick fabric. Now, I already knew he had no problem in dropping his clothes for me, but somehow the sight of his behind going from unclothed to clothed gave me a naughty idea. I stepped forward, slipped two fingers in and pinched his right cheek deliberately.

"Ow!" He turned around while his own hand tried to soothe the poor spot. "Why did you do that, Bella?" Then his eyes swept up and down my body, heating up my skin considerably. "Wow, you look amazing!" His hands caressed my waist and then travelled up to my bikini. It wasn't particularly stylish, being a simple cut really, but the way he looked and touched me—almost with reverence—made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. I was sure I would do anything he wanted me to while he gazed at me like that. I kissed him lightly and thanked him, and then we went to the pool.

We swam for a while, and then we played a sort of improvised water polo where each one of us got to be the goalie and the other three threw the ball, trying to score. It was great fun, and to nobody's surprise Edward saved the most goals. He flitted around like a particularly elegant fish, or maybe I should say mer-man, completely at ease in the water, and any awkwardness he might exhibit on land now and then was wholly absent. I was in awe of him. I asked Rose if he had always been like that, and she nodded.

"All of us were taught swimming as a child, of course," she explained as we swam away lazily after a very energetic round of the game. "I can't remember when Edward was _not_ good at it—it came so naturally to him. I am sure he could have trained for the Nationals, but he was never competitive. He just loved to swim, you know?"

I nodded. Yes, I could understand that, now that I knew him better. I complimented Rose on her swimming skills, and could not help wondering if Jasper was the same. Her reply surprised me.

"No, Jasper never took to it," she said, shaking her head for emphasis. "Right from the beginning he hated going in the water, and once he learned to dog-paddle, he opted out, saying he had better things to do than turn himself into a wrinkled prune. It surprises me, now that I think about it, because he always wanted to be the best at everything. At least, he wanted to be better than Edward—that much I do know."

We flopped down in the deck chairs until the boys finished their water-wrestling, and then went up to shower and change. When we came down for dinner, Carlisle was back from his work, and though he did not speak too much, I could see Edward's success in securing a literary agent pleased him. He looked hopeful and smiled at our silly jokes. And when the meal was over, he came to Edward and awkwardly patted him on the back. And then he surprised all of us, including Esme, by asking if we would like to play cards for a while. Perhaps it was his way of trying to bond with Edward?

We had a lot of fun playing various games, but finally everybody started to yawn. For most of us it had been a day full of emotion and action, so we headed to bed soon after. I wondered if Edward would repeat his request of 'seeing' me, but apparently it had slipped his mind. As soon as we had brushed our teeth and got inside the covers, he snuggled up to me and was asleep in a wink. I wasn't far behind.

Until I woke up with his moving and mumbling, and this time, when I shook him awake, he did not look confused. "Bella, I remember her name," he said in a clear voice. "It was Renee."

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End Note: I know I said this before, but just in case you missed it, there is the MakeMeLaugh Contest being held right now, and the voting is from 19th to 26th of July. Do check the stories and vote, and review too of course!

So, did the confession part go as you had imagined it? And what of Edward's reaction?


	25. Chapter 25

Hi! Most of you seem satisfied with the way things played out for Bella. Some of you were confused by Edward's mention of Renee. One reviewer guessed correctly how Edward might have known her though. She posted as a guest, so I could not reply to her. Well done, friend!

Have you checked out the MakeMeLaugh Contest yet? The voting has started!

Disclaimer: SM owns everything 'Twilight'.

Thank you, TeamAllTwilight, for polishing this story!

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Chapter-25

Renee? Did he mean my mother, or was it some other woman who shared her name with my long-disappeared mother? And why would he dream of her?

"Edward," I asked in a soothing tone, "who are you talking about? Who is this Renee you have been dreaming of?"

His forehead wrinkled in thought as he lay upon his side, facing me, and took my hand in his. "Bella," he said slowly, "you know what is strange? I don't really know who she is—I mean, I have never seen her; not that I remember, anyway. I don't know what her last name or profession was. All I remember is her voice…and some things she told me."

My curiosity was increasing by leaps and bounds. "What sort of things?"

He squinted as if seeing something far away. "She told me that I would be okay, that I was caught in a deep sleep because my body and mind needed it, but I would wake up when I was ready." He scratched his head. "That makes no sense. Why would anybody talk to me while I was asleep?"

It made no sense to me either. "What else do you remember, Edward? "

He played with my fingers and then placed my hand on his forehead. "She talked about her little girl, I think. She said…that she loved her daughter, but she had to leave her with her father because his way of life could not be hers. And he never would have let her take the girl with her. She said it was the saddest day of her life when she had to make that decision, but there was nothing else she could have done."

"Quite a story," I murmured as my fingers played with his soft hair, making him smile and hum in content. "Did she tell you her daughter's name?"

Edward made a face. "Hmm, her name. Let me see—Lizzy? It was something similar to that." He frowned some more and then suddenly his face cleared. "Got it—her name was Izzy—yes, I am sure that's what it was. 'My sweet Izzy', she used to say. Do you think it might have been a nickname?"

Something seemed to be undulating in my mind, some hidden, almost-forgotten memory. Why did the name sound familiar? Was it even remotely possible that my mother might have called me Izzy for Isabella? Only Charlie could answer that question, but I was not sure that he would.

"Did you know that my mother's name was Renee?" I asked Edward who was gazing at me in a puzzled manner. He looked surprised at this sudden bit of information, but shook his head. "You never mentioned it, Bella. In fact, I don't know anything about your mother. I wondered of course, but then I figured it must be a sore topic. You think…the voice I hear in my dreams—it belongs to your mother?"

"It is not impossible," I mused aloud, "Renee is not exactly a common name, is it? And my mother left me and Charlie when I was three. That is why I don't talk about her—I know nothing about her, you see. I don't even know what she looks like because there are no photos of her in the house."

"That is really sad, Bella," he sympathized, stroking my temple and cheek lightly. "Your dad never remarried, did he?"

"No, he didn't," I sighed. "I think he still loves her, but he is so stubborn. He never speaks of her either, just goes on with his life as if nothing had happened, as if _she_ had never existed. Edward, wouldn't it be wonderful if the woman you remember turns out to be my mother?" My voice rose slightly with excitement towards the end, and I could feel my lips stretch in a smile.

He smiled too, his eyes lighting up. "Yes, of course it would be! But Bella, how will we find out?"

I grimaced, thinking of the task that lay ahead of me. "I will have to ask Charlie if my mother used to call me Izzy, I suppose. That will give us something to work on, though the very thought of asking Charlie this question makes me nervous."

He nodded in understanding. "Of course it does. Still, he can't refuse you an answer, can he? And Bella, I will ask mom if she knew somebody called Renee, okay? Maybe she will be able to help us."

I agreed, and we drifted off to sleep again.

-JRFM-

Having that little disturbance during the night meant we overslept in the morning. Still, when I felt his wood poking me in the butt as a wake-up call, I smiled and lazily stretched myself, enjoying the warmth surrounding me. _That _of course made Edward yawn and open his eyes, and I could sense his own smile as his lips pressed kisses on my neck and shoulder.

"You taste so good, Bella," he spoke into my skin, tickling it and making me giggle. "See, this spot here is a pancake—I think I will take a bite now," he said and pretended to nibble it. "Hmm, blueberry, I think—my favorite. And what is this here?" He moved to another spot nearby. "Oh, this seems to be French toast, just the way I like it." I tried to squirm away, giggling madly at the sensations produced by his wandering mouth, but his arms only tightened around me. I wiggled some more, and heard him groan as my ass rubbed against his…penis. It sounded so clinical though—I knew I would have to find another word. Did cock sound better? Dick? Snake? Wand?

The last word made me laugh outright. Edward lifted his mouth from my neck and asked me what was so funny.

"Uh, I was thinking of the slang words for penis. Did you know some people also call it snake or wand?"

He snorted. "Where do you get all these terms from? Oh right, your classmates. Maybe we should Google it and find out what else is it called?"

"Maybe after breakfast?" I suggested. "I am kind of hungry right now."

"Why don't you try my shoulder and neck? I am sure I have bacon and eggs somewhere here," he grinned, making me laugh again. "Hey Bella, is it okay to tell Emmett that I had pancakes and French toast off you?"

I choked mid-laughter, and began to cough. Edward patted my back gently.

"I suppose not, then," he murmured. "I just wanted to reply to Emmett's question from yesterday morning—you know, when he asked me if I had _nothing_ to eat before coming down for breakfast."

I am sure my eyes widened to double their size. "Um, Edward, I don't think he meant it quite that way," was the best answer I could give. "I am going to brush my teeth, okay?"

I could see he wanted further explanations, but he did not push me. By the time we were having breakfast, he seemed to have forgotten the topic, concentrating on beating Emmett at having the most number of omeletes. When were all done and leaning back in our chairs, Edward addressed his mother.

"Mom, have you ever met someone named Renee?" he asked as if the question had suddenly popped into his mind. I recalled what we had decided to do today, and my stomach dropped at the thought of asking Charlie about my mother.

Esme frowned, clearly puzzled. "Renee? Can't say I have. Why—what happened?"

Edward shrugged. "I have been having these weird dreams where I hear a woman talking to me, but I can't see her. Last night I recalled that her name was Renee, and I wondered if we ever knew someone by that name, that's all."

Naturally this statement made everybody curious. "What does she say to you?" Rose asked, sitting straight and leaning toward Edward.

He explained what he had told me, with everybody listening attentively. Esme closed her eyes for a second as she thought hard.

"I really can't remember, and you are right, it is an unusual name." She drummed her fingertips on the table. "Anyway, Bella, you should ask your father about this Izzy thing. If your mother really called you Izzy…I am sure Charlie would like to know about this."

I nodded gloomily. Esme raised an eyebrow, looking at me quizzically. Edward answered her unspoken question. "Bella is afraid that her father won't like being questioned about anything related to his wife, because she left him years ago. He doesn't talk about her, ever."

"Ooh," said Esme thoughtfully, "I see. Would you prefer that I speak with him? I don't think he will yell at me!" She gave me a mischievous smile at the end. Everyone laughed.

"I really think I should be the one making the call, Esme," I said regretfully. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"Why don't you make it now, in that case?" she asked. "We will give you moral support, if you like. Or you can go into the sun-room, have some privacy."

"Make it here, Bella," suggested Emmett eagerly, his dimples deepening, "if he starts yelling, I will throw a chair or something, and you can tell him there has been an earthquake!" He winked at me.

"That's not a bad idea," I chuckled, feeling better instantly. How could anyone be low around Emmett? I crossed my fingers, picked up my phone and pressed the number.

"Bella! How are you, sweetie?" came Sue's chirpy voice. "I miss you so much!"

"You should come visit me then!" I replied, truly happy to hear her. She _had_ taken very good care of me whenever I had been home from the boarding school. "I am good, by the way, and very, very happy. How are you doing?"

There was a suspicious sniffle-like sound on the other end, and then Sue spoke again. "Yeah, yeah, I am okay. It's your father I am worried about—prowling about the house like a lost soul or something, he is. I had imagined retirement would bring him some peace, but no, he is not happy, that one."

I was taken aback by her comment. Firstly, Charlie had always come across as a quiet but strong man to me, and I could not imagine him being 'lost' and unhappy. Secondly, Sue had considered me grown-up enough to convey this information to me! Was it just because I was married now, or she was too worried and just _had to_ let me know?

"Actually I need to speak with him," I admitted reluctantly. "Is he around?"

She sighed. "I am sure he is in his room, looking at those photos again. I tell you—"

"Wait, wait," I interrupted her, frowning. "What photos are you talking about, Sue?"

"Your mother's photos, that's what I am talking about," she grumbled. "He didn't want anybody disturbing him—not that many people call him nowadays—that's why he left his phone downstairs. I will just go—"

I stopped her again. "Sue," I said urgently, "you mean to say that Charlie has my mother's photos? And he looks at them?"

"Well of course he has them, and no, he did not look at them earlier. It's only after you got married…like I said, he feels lonely. Why he let her leave I will never understand—he loved her that much. Still does, I guess."

Her words had knocked me off my feet. I had imagined Charlie spending his days cleaning his beloved guns, hunting and fishing with a couple of his cronies and enjoying himself in general. Never had it occurred to me that he might be lonely. I mean, I had been at school for years anyway, though he had his business to look after at that time. It made me feel somewhat guilty. Perhaps I should not have been in such a hurry to get married—

"Bella, Bella dear," Sue was calling me, and I realized I had zoned off for a moment. Around me, I could see the anxious faces of my new family. I tried to relax and smile a bit.

"Yes, Sue. Sorry I got lost in my mind. Um, can I talk with him now, or is this a bad time?"

"Of course you can talk with him," she assured me. "I am just at his door—Charlie, Bella is on the phone. Here, take this."

There was a pause, and then my father was on the line. "Bella, how are you?" He didn't sound too different, but with the new knowledge I had gleaned from Sue, I could detect a weariness in his tone. "I hope Edward is treating you well." He tried to laugh.

That made me smile, but also feel sad. "Yes Dad, very well; I am very happy. How are you?"

He tried to brush it off. "Oh, fine, fine. So, what made you call me?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you something." I swallowed and glanced around. Everybody there nodded encouragingly, and Edward squeezed my hand. "Do you remember—did Mom ever call me Izzy, or something similar to it?"

There was complete silence at his end. I began to feel extremely uncomfortable. Just as I was getting ready to apologize, he spoke heavily. "Yes, she did, actually. I didn't think you would remember it though, after all these years. What's going on, Bella?"

"It's a little complicated," I answered. "Can you come over? There's something we want to tell you." I looked at Edward to see if he had any objection, but he just nodded.

"I will come over right now," he said eagerly. We said bye and then disconnected.

I filled in the others what they had missed, and Esme nodded sagely. Then she suggested that Edward and I talk with Charlie on our own, at first anyway. If he wanted, she could join us later.

Charlie arrived in a few minutes. Esme welcomed him, but then left us alone in the small sun-room that looked out into the front garden. It had a couple of cushy couches, into which we settled, both Charlie and I distinctly uncomfortable. Edward broke the ice by thanking him, and then proceeded to narrate his dream. Charlie listened, more fascinated than I had thought he would be.

"We think she might be important in some way," explained Edward, finishing his story. "If she really turns out to be Bella's mother, then of course that would be great. But since I don't know what she looks like, we don't have much to go on. If you could help us in any way—"

Charlie smiled a very strange smile. "Well, I can't say for sure if she is Bella's mother or some other Renee, although this Izzy thing makes it plausible. I do know where _my_ Renee is, however, so yes, I can help you contact her."

For the second time in the day, I felt as if I had been knocked off my feet.

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End Note: Were you knocked off your feet by Charlie's announcement?

What do you think Bella should call Edward's 'wand'? ;) TAT voted for 'Southpole'!


	26. Chapter 26

Thank you for your enthusiastic replies! There were the usual names, plus some creative ones. We will see which one Bella chooses!

I loved reading your theories about Charlie and Renee, and of course a couple of them were spot-on.

Disclaimer: All things 'Twilight' belong to SM.

Pre-read by TeamAllTwilight, my wonderful fandom-friend!

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Chapter-26

"I know where Renee is."

The brief, innocent-sounding statement rattled me so badly that my brain stopped functioning for a moment. Questions vibrated in my mind, too numerous to be grasped at once. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out; nothing coherent, anyway.

However, it was Edward's reaction that shocked me even more. Edward—sweet, kind, adorable Edward—yelled at my intimidating father.

"How could you, Mr Swan?" he berated him, eyes narrowed and face red with fury. "You kept Bella's mother away from her for years? Do you have any idea of what you have done?"

Charlie stared at him, his face blank. I was sure he was going to pull out a gun from somewhere, and debated whether I should push Edward behind the couch. I wished Emmett was nearby. He could have done something to simulate an earthquake. But then Charlie rendered it unnecessary by his equally unexpected reaction.

"I am so sorry, Bella," he said softly, his eyes misty and his expression regretful. "Edward is right in a way. It is because of me that you had no mother while growing up. Not because I deliberately kept her away, but because I left her with no choice. A good woman like her, with a cop for her father—how could she live with me, knowing I was a criminal?"

"But—didn't she know that you were—I mean, your profession—didn't she know that before getting married?" It seemed unbelievable to me.

Charlie shook his head. "No, I was very careful to hide under the guise of a normal businessman. I fell in love with her the moment we met, and came to know soon after who her father was. Even after we got married I did not tell her. I imagined we could lead our life like that, without her ever knowing. Or even if she came to know later on, she would be too used to me and the life I gave her to think of walking away. When you were born, it was a double joy to me. I became sure that Renee could never leave you, and I would not allow her to take you with her. I became careless, and that's how she discovered my 'profession'."

He took a deep breath. "She pleaded with me for months, begged me to give up that kind of life and start over. She said she didn't care for the trappings of wealth. We had long arguments. Finally I promised her that I would wind up everything in a few months." Another deep breath, and then he continued. "I didn't: I just kept on making excuses and asking for more time. Finally she gave me an ultimatum—if I didn't fulfill my promise within a month, she would leave me and never return. I thought she was bluffing, but…"

He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them they were full of remorse. "The day after the month was over, she disappeared. I came back from the office in the evening and she wasn't there—she was just…gone. Sue told me she had gone to shop for some clothes for you, but I knew in my heart that she would never come back. I had driven her away."

"But," I spluttered, "you just said you know where she is!"

"I have known where she is for the last two days, Bella—that's it. Not that I didn't try to find her before, but there were no clues. What was worse was that she hadn't taken anything with her, except some cash. No clothes, jewelery, nothing she could have sold. It was as if she had cut off all ties with me, with the life she had with me."

I wasn't aware of my tears until I felt Edward's gentle fingers wiping them away. I leaned into him, feeling his arm tighten around me, supporting me. I was so lucky to have him with me.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "I'm sorry sir, I assumed you had known all these years where Bella's mom was, and—"

Charlie waved it away. "It's my fault, one way or the other. Even now, now that I know her whereabouts, I don't have the guts to go face her. I will of course, but it's a scary thought."

The image of Charlie being scared of anyone made me snigger. He looked at me and smiled sheepishly.

"So where is she?" I asked. "Maybe I should contact her first? That might work better, right?"

Charlie's face lit up with happiness. "Will you do that? I am sure she won't—scratch that, I know she will come running to meet you. She may not forgive me—"

"Dad, where is she?"

Charlie smacked his forehead. "Of course, right, she is in Florida. Jacksonville, to be precise—working as a nurse in a hospital there. It seems she has been moving around the country a lot, no doubt to avoid being found by me. Do you want to call her right now?"

Of course I wanted to call her, talk with her, maybe yell at her a bit. The question was, could I? Just thinking about it made my brow sweat and my hands shake. My mother—a figure that was almost mythological in its surrealism until now—was about to become a flesh-and-blood woman, with a human voice. It hit me with such force that I forgot to breathe for a moment. It was only when I felt dizzy that I gulped a lungful of air.

I looked around to find Charlie looking worried and Edward somewhat fascinated with my reaction to Charlie's question. "What are you doing, Bella?" he asked, head cocked to the right. I blinked at him eloquently.

"Be-lla," he sing-song'ed when there was no reply, while his fingers crept on my waist and tickled me, making me squirm and giggle. He chuckled, and even Charlie smiled at the scene in front of him.

"Don't you want to call your mom, Bella?" asked Edward sweetly. I tried to collect my thoughts and put them in some order.

"I very much want to call her, but…I am terrified at the same time. It is just too much to absorb. For years my mother was just somebody who left my father and me because she did not want to be a wife and a mother. Now the whole story has changed, like the design inside a kaleidoscope. I am having difficulty assimilating it. If I call my mom now, I will have no idea what to say to her!"

"Oooh," he nodded, eyes full of understanding for me. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Hey, Bella, how about I call your mom? I can inform her about you and then pass the call to you. Will it make things easier for you?"

I thought for a moment and agreed. It would certainly help me, and it would be much better than I calling her and turning into a blubbering mess. So Charlie gave him the number and he made the call on my mobile.

Very politely he asked for Renee Dwyer (that was the name my mother had taken, Charlie told us) when somebody in the hospital picked up. Then he switched it to speaker, and I heard my mother's voice for the first time in my life.

"Hello, Renee Dwyer here." I pressed my fist on my mouth so I didn't start sobbing.

"Ms. Dwyer, this is Edward Cullen. You don't know me, but—"

Here he was interrupted in a most enthusiastic manner by my mother, and her words made no sense to any of us. Not in the beginning, anyway.

"Edward Cullen! Of course I know you—you sweet boy! How are you? I have been wondering about you since you left the hospital, you know."

Hospital? Edward and I glanced at each-other as the same thought occurred to both of us. He cleared his throat quickly and spoke.

"How did you know me at the hospital, Ms. Dwyer? I am sorry, but I don't remember you."

"Well, of course you don't you remember me—you were in a very deep sleep after you had that horrible accident. Your family was so worried. But I knew you would wake up when you were ready."

Edward's eyes widened. "It was you!" he shouted, his voice almost vibrating with excitement. "You used to talk with me when I was in coma, telling me not to worry!"

Renee laughed on the other end. "So you do remember me! Yes, I was your night nurse during your stay in the ICU here, and I did talk your ear off because I believed you could hear me, even if you could not respond. So tell me, how are you doing now? You sound good!"

Edward smiled, and so did I. It was impossible not to be affected by Renee's cheerfulness. However, when I sneaked a glance at Charlie, I found him wiping his eyes hastily.

"I am very well," Edward replied, "although there are things that I have forgotten. But right now I have some important news for you—really important."

"What—are you getting married or something?" came the laughing voice.

Edward took a deep breath and spoke. "I am already married, actually. But the news I want to give you is—I have your daughter here: she is my wife."

There was profound silence on Renee's end. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded shaky. "Edward, I know you wouldn't—but, please, tell me this is not a cruel joke. Just because I told you about her while you were here—"

"No, no, Renee, of course not!" protested Edward, shocked that she could think he would joke about such a serious matter. "I would never do that! Of course when I married Bella, I had no idea that—"

"Bella," murmured Renee, "you call her Bella. I used to call her Izzy."

"I know," said Edward gently, "I have been dreaming of you."

"Dreaming of me?"

"Maybe it was the memories trying to come back," he amended. "We couldn't understand what was happening, because all I had was your voice. I never saw your face, did I?"

"No, you didn't," she answered, probably shaking her head. "Once you woke up, your family immediately had you transferred to Seattle. Makes sense, of course." She swallowed audibly and continued, "So, may I speak with Izzy? Is she nearby?" Her voice fell to a whisper. "Does she even want to speak with me?"

Tears began to flow from my eyes. Edward assured Renee that I definitely wanted to speak with her; I was just overwhelmed. When he held the phone over to me, I could barely whisper 'Mom' before bursting into noisy sobs. I could hear her calling my name, but I could not stop crying. It was as if a dam had broken, having resisted for years. Finally Edward took the phone from me, trying to hush me in vain.

"Ms. Dwyer, I am sorry, but—"

Renee interrupted him, her voice teary but determined, as if she had made up her mind suddenly. "Edward, give me your address," she demanded, "I'm catching the first flight to Seattle."

* * *

End Note: So, did that answer your questions? I know, most of you are thinking—but what of Jasper? Patience, dear readers. All will be revealed.

On an unrelated note, saw a picture of Rob on robertpattinsonnews, from Cannes 2012. It was titled 'Seriously Gorgeous Rob'. The B&W version—just three words, people! .God.

One more thing. I seldom rec fics, because the good ones are already familiar to everybody, but recently I found 'One Day' by RueforRegret through another author's rec, and I am addicted to it. I read it twice, actually! Do read it, review it and tell her I sent you there. Seriously, don't miss it!


	27. Chapter 27

So, most people were surprised by Renee turning out to be Edward's nurse, which pleases me as much as the correct guesses did. Hey, if everybody had guessed it, nobody would be reading the story!

Pre-read by my very reliable fandom-friend, TeamAllTwilight.

Disclaimer: SM owns 'Twilight'.

* * *

Chapter-27

I hardly slept that night.

In spite of my mother's determination, she was not going to arrive before noon next day. It was summer, vacation time for everybody, and the flights were fully booked. When she informed us of this, the cheerfulness in her voice went down a notch or two. Charlie took matters in his hands. Somehow he wrung a favor from someone he knew. He had the ticket forwarded to Renee, letting her believe Edward had done everything, of course. Oh yes, excited as he was, I could also see that he was almost shaking in his shoes while talking of meeting Renee.

"Um, Bella, do me a favor," he stammered uncharacteristically as he said goodnight to us. "Don't mention me to your mother until she asks about me, okay? Have a long chat with her first, ask her all the questions you want—and of course you also, Edward—I am sure you have a lot to say to her…"

I saw right through his rambling. "What you would really want us to do, Dad," I remarked cheekily, "is to soften her up, right? So that she is not too mad at you, when you finally show her your face." Two weeks ago, I would have imagined this—teasing my dad—an impossible undertaking on my part. In fact, I could not have imagined _anybody_ talking with him in such a familiar manner. But things had changed, and so had Charlie, and with that my approach to him.

He huffed a bit but then smiled. "Yes, that's about it, basically. I am so happy, but also terrified that," he swallowed visibly, "she will take one look at me and run away. Bella, maybe I should just stay away from here. At least you will have your mother back."

I heard what he did not put into words. "Dad," I said softly, "let us just take it slow, okay? There _is_ a lot we want to talk about, but ultimately she would want to know about you—I am sure of it. And in Forks, it will be impossible for her not to hear about you, one way or other. Now stop fretting and go home and get a good night's sleep. You don't want her to see you with bags under your eyes, do you? You have to look handsome for her!"

Charlie snorted and mumbled something about those days being long past, but went away looking more hopeful. Edward turned me towards him and kissed me sweetly on the lips.

"You are amazing, Bella."

"Amazing?"

"Yes, you put him at ease so quickly when he was so wound up. You have done the same for me, you know."

I looked at quizzically. What similar thing had I done for him? He read the question in my eyes, of course.

"You've helped me feel comfortable with myself, Bella. You have helped me fit in with other people, even my family. I can never thank you enough."

I shook my head. "You have helped me find myself too, so we are equal there. But if I can really help someone that way, I would like to do something in my life related to that." Then I laughed nervously. "Though, I have no idea how to unwind myself for tomorrow's meeting. I wish I was good at giving advice to myself!"

His lips curved up as if he was going to suggest something naughty. It was an unusual look for him, but very appealing. My eyebrows rose in surprise. And then he winked at me.

"Do you want me to distract you, Bella?" It made me smile.

"How, Edward?"

"We can Google synonyms for penis and then use them in funny sentences."

* * *

End Note: See, he did not forget that! ;)

Yes, I know it is super-short. I will try to write the next chapter real soon. Meanwhile, I am posting 'The Maybe Vampire'—my entry in the MakeMeLaugh Contest. Go ahead and read it!

It was nice to see some familiar names in the reviews for 'TMV'. Thank you, sweet readers!


	28. Chapter 28

Most readers were very amused to see Charlie nervous of meeting Renee. And of course everybody loved Edward's idea of distracting Bella. Let us see how that goes!

Disclaimer: SM owns 'Twilight'. I own Googleward!

Pre-read by TeamAllTwilight. She is my rock!

* * *

Chapter-28

I started giggling uncontrollably at his suggestion, which brought Esme out from the kitchen where she was preparing a light supper. As Charlie had stayed for lunch, she had gone out of her way to make it more elaborate than usual. As a result, none of us were too hungry right now. Well, at least Rose and I were not. I could not speak for Edward and Emmett—they were unlikely to turn down food any time it was offered!

"What happened to make you laugh so much, Bella?" she asked with a smile. I shook my head, trying to control my mirth. But Edward winked at me and I started off again.

"Should I tell mom what I said, Bella? If I bring the laptop out of the bedroom, then it wouldn't be considered bedroom talk, will it?"

Esme's eyes widened. The next moment she had covered her ears and marched back into the kitchen. Edward snickered, which immediately made me suspicious.

"Did you do that deliberately? You knew it would embarrass her, didn't you?"

He laughed outright then. "She is so easy to ruffle—it was funny to see her react like that!" I slapped his chest playfully, but he grabbed both of my hands and began to pull me up the stairs, climbing them backwards. When I protested, saying I should go and help Esme with supper, he answered that I could do that after our little bedroom activity. Of course Emmett heard it from the rec room and whistled loudly. I rolled my eyes at both of them.

Once inside the room he shut the door, pulled me close and kissed me multiple times. He kept them short, sometimes sucking on my lower lip and sometimes the upper, and sometimes my tongue would sneak out to meet his and sometimes his would dart in my mouth for a taste, but it was all teasing and playful. When we separated, both of us smiled widely.

"I really like kissing you, Bella," he murmured in my ear as we waited for the laptop to boot. He had insisted that I sit on his lap, with his arms around me and his chin on my shoulder. It felt so good that I thought I might not move from there until we had to go down for supper.

"I like kissing you too," I answered honestly. Then I recalled something. "Your lips were the first thing I noticed when we were asked to kiss after the wedding. I thought they were beautiful—in fact, I thought you were beautiful—"

"No," he pouted, "you are beautiful; I am handsome, or good-looking. Men can't be beautiful."

"They can be," I protested, adding, "and in Jane Austen's novels women were remarked upon as being handsome, so you can't say that these adjectives are gender-specific. In any case, you _are_ beautiful—" I stopped as he laughed loudly. "What?"

His eyes were on the screen, where he had already opened a page titled '174 ways to call a penis otherwise' while I had been busy being politically correct. "Do you think my 'one-eyed monster' is beautiful, Bella?" he asked, still chuckling.

"Hmm," I pretended to think while skimming over the list in front of me. "How can a monster be beautiful? But I think your joystick is pretty cool."

"Joystick, eh?" Suddenly his eyes widened and he let out a guffaw. I stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"You know those boxers I have, with the picture of an X-box and the words 'Wanna play?" upon them?" I nodded. How could I forget? He had been wearing them _that_ night too. "Your favorite, right?"

"Yes," he answered, snickering away. "I ordered them online, assuming the words referred to the video game, but…somehow, I don't think so now." He raised an eyebrow meaningfully at me, and suddenly it clicked. Wanna play…joystick, and Charlie staring at Edward that morning. What must he have thought?

I dissolved into helpless giggles, and so did Edward.

-JRFM-

Carlisle joined us for supper, and I noticed Esme had saved some stir-fried chicken from our afternoon meal for him, and some of her delicious bread pudding. I supposed they loved each-other, even though they did not show it in words or deed in front of other people. It made me wonder what my parents had been like when they were together, and when my mother did not know of my father's actual profession. I wondered how they would greet each-other when they would meet in the present.

We had filled in the rest of the family about our conversation with both Charlie and Renee, and they had reacted differently. Esme was unabashedly excited to meet Renee, commending her for having the guts to stick to her statement and leave Charlie to lead her own life. She was of course sorry that I had to grow up without a mother, but she hoped I wouldn't be too upset with her. "She would have died inside, had she stayed with Charlie, I think," she stated softly but firmly.

Carlisle didn't say too much as usual, but he seemed to be giving the subject quite a lot of thought. He did address me though, saying that it would be an honor to meet Renee, and also that he would give moral support to Charlie if required. For the most it would be a personal matter, to be resolved between the two of them. Then he asked Esme how she would feel if he decided to retire from his business.

"I will be very, very happy," she stated emphatically. "But…where did this come from suddenly?"

He shook his head slowly. "I have been thinking about it for a while now, actually. It wasn't as if I didn't know what I was doing was wrong, but I still went on doing it. However, since the day Edward had that accident, I have been wondering if he had to pay…for my sins."

Both Esme and Rose gasped. "Carlisle, what are you saying?" Esme asked, speaking much more quickly than she usually did. "Do you—do you mean to say that somebody deliberately caused that accident? Why would anybody target _him_ though? He's had nothing to do with the business!"

Carlisle's eyes were full of guilt and pain as he looked at all of us in turn. "We will never know that for sure, because there is no proof and no witness. Believe me, I have left no stone unturned to investigate the accident, but…we found nothing. As to why anybody would target Edward, my guess is that it was easy to do so, and because they knew that it was a sure way to hurt me. What can be worse for a parent than to bury his child with his own hands?"

"Esme, Edward, Rose—I apologize to all of you for my actions. I cannot undo what I have done my whole life, but I want to stop now, and if possible, to atone for my sins. Can you forgive me?"

Esme held his hand and nodded while tears flowed from her eyes. Rose was tearing up too, holding on to Emmett for support and mumbling "yes, Dad". Edward swallowed once and put his arm around me. "Of course, Dad. What is done is done anyway. I am glad you have decided to retire."

"Wait a moment," mused Esme, her air puzzled. "Carlisle, when you said you are going to retire, what exactly did you mean? Are you going to hand over the business to Jasper, or fold it completely?"

Carlisle seemed surprised. "I was thinking of selling it off. Why should Jasper bear the burden of wrongdoing any longer? He can manage the two factories that operate legitimately, if he likes, or do something else. He can even go to school!"

"Hmm, it might be difficult for him to understand your reasons," Esme said slowly. "He has always defined himself as needing to be your shadow. To him, success means making money the way you have done. Do you think—well, I suppose only time will tell us that. We will talk with him as soon as he comes home."

We agreed that all of us should give Jasper this news together, and then dispersed in various directions. Carlisle went into his study to begin the process of selling off. Now that he had made up his mind, he wanted to wrap everything up as soon as possible. Esme, Rose and I cleared the table and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher, while Edward and Emmett headed for the rec room to select a movie. After Esme said goodnight to us, the four of us watched a couple of movies and headed to bed.

I think Edward understood my mood and therefore did not initiate our usual kissing and groping activities. Instead he spoke of his new book—the one with my namesake as the hero. Still, when we finally went to sleep, my rest was interrupted by strange and sometimes terrible dreams. Sometimes my mother would speak with me sweetly, but then just disappear in mid-conversation. Once I saw Charlie at our door, crying and informing me that my mother's car had fallen off the cliff and into the Sound. Each time I would wake up shaken, and each time Edward would reassure me that everything was all right and soothe me back to sleep. Finally at six in the morning I gave up trying to sleep.

I had a relaxing bath with my favorite bath salts and then went into the kitchen to help Esme and Mrs Cope with breakfast. When it was over, I pestered Esme to let me bake a batch of peanut butter cookies. I then tried to read a book, play a video game with Emmett and do some gardening that was absolutely unnecessary—all without any success. As noon approached I took to roaming around in the house like some troubled spirit, with Edward at my heels, trying to get me to talk until I snapped at him to leave me alone. The next moment I felt terrible for my rudeness and apologized to him. He smiled and gave me an affectionate hug. As I inhaled his soothing smell, I heard a car coming towards the house and rushed to the door. I threw it open to see the car stop, the back door open before the driver could open his, and a woman step out.

I froze in the doorway as she turned to me. I had visions of running towards her and hugging her to death, but my legs refused to move. My tongue seemed stuck somewhere so that I could not call out to her as she walked quickly towards me. Only my eyes remained functional, taking in every detail of her appearance hungrily. I knew I had Charlie's brown eyes, but otherwise I could have been the mirror image of my never-seen mother. Her hair was shorter and lighter than mine though, as if bleached by all the sun she had been in. Around her eyes were tiny laugh lines, and her skin had a healthy tan. She was smiling widely at me even as she studied my face and her eyes became misty. And then she was in front of me.

"Izzy," she whispered as she opened her arms, and instinctively I went into them. As we embraced each-other, I felt as if the missing part of my heart had fallen into place. Edward's love had soothed the hurt and made me feel precious, but hugging my mother made me feel whole. Her acceptance of me settled around me like a warm, snuggly quilt, making me smile in content.

"Mom," I sighed into her shoulder.

* * *

End Note: So, that's their first meeting. Tissue, anyone?

What do you think Jasper's reaction will be?

BTW, the boxers Edward mentions? They do exist-I found them on an online shopping site! :D


	29. Chapter 29

Oh you sweet people. Thank you for being so involved in this story! You found the meeting between Renee and Bella emotional and predicted that Jasper is going to be extremely unhappy with Carlisle's decision. And of course you wanted the next chapter as soon as possible—so, here it is!

Disclaimer: SM owns everything 'Twilight'.

Pre-read by the excellent TeamAllTwilight.

* * *

Chapter-29

"I have missed you so much, Izzy."

The last two hours had been a medley of joyful tears, sad smiles, and memories recounted to each other. Rationally speaking, I knew that it was wrong of me to monopolize my mother. That I should let her speak with Esme, Rose and Emmett too, but most of all with Edward. After all, it was because of him that she was in front of me today. However, being in her presence seemed to have stripped me of any maturity I might have developed since leaving school. I wanted to put my head in her lap and feel her fingers in my hair. I wanted to see in her face and hear her regret for all the moments she had missed because she had been away from me. I wanted to listen to her sweet voice calling my name again and again—a name that only she had ever used. To be brief, I was being a completely selfish little girl.

Somehow everybody understood and gave us space, once the introductions were over. Esme assured me that it was perfectly natural of me to want to glue myself to Renee. She suggested a quick, light lunch, after which we could have however much time and privacy we desired. While we were eating, Renee was gracious enough to map the salient points of her years since she left me, for all of us. She kept it light though, making it sound as if she had been on a great adventure all the time, and of course she promised Edward to have a detailed talk with him as soon as she had had some alone time with me.

We took over the pretty sun room once lunch was done, and I listened spellbound as she went back in time and began from the beginning—how she had met my father, how impressed she had been with his gentlemanly behavior and his generous heart, his way of focusing on her as if she was his life. After a brief but intense courtship, they had got married, and she was on cloud nine. Then I came along, and she felt that she was the most fortunate woman in the world. Until the day came when the bubble burst and the dreams evaporated, leaving her baffled and broken.

"I can't really explain it to you, Izzy," she sighed as her features twisted with pain. "I had always looked up to Charlie, had thought so highly of him that when I heard him on the phone, casually arranging guns to be shipped to someone and laughing over the death of a cop who had been too smart for his own good—I felt like my heart had stopped. All my life I had seen my father risk his life in the line of duty, had heard him say that man should live honestly or not at all. For me to hear _that_ from my own husband, the man I loved so dearly? It nearly killed me, I can tell you. When I gathered the courage to confront him, I was half-wishing he would lie to me, so that I could go back to my perfect world. But he gave me the unvarnished truth."

She sighed heavily. "We had arguments too numerous to mention, all beginning and ending the same way. I would cajole him to leave that life, he would find excuses as to how difficult it was; I would cry and ask him if he wanted his child to grow up and know him as a gun-runner, and he would become emotional and promise that he would wrap up everything within a few months. I waited for the day he would come to me and announce that he was done, but that day never came."

Her voice became melancholic then. "Once I was angry enough to threaten him that I would take you with me and leave. He yelled at me, demanding that I leave _you_ out of our problem. He warned me that even if I did leave, he would find us and bring us back, or at least bring you back. It was then that I understood that he was not really interested in changing his ways. He was just waiting for me to give up. And of course he knew that I would never leave you behind, so I would stay too."

"So, one day—you just had enough of it?" I asked, even though I knew the answer. I wanted to hear her version too.

She sighed again. Her fingers absently played with the hem of her dress. When she looked up, her bright blue eyes were glassy with the merest hint of tears.

"Yes," she answered softly, "I suppose you could say that. After months and months of a stalemate, Charlie had finally given in, given me a date. It was the day you turned three. I thought it was a sincere promise as it was associated with your birthday. I was so, so happy."

Her tone was almost dreamy as she continued with the narration. "I remember every single thing we did that day. We had a small party where all the toddlers of your play school had been invited. You had so much fun playing with them, with the three-tiered cake Charlie had ordered—not eating as much as smearing it on your face and dress—and the hundreds of balloons we tied to the trees and shrubs in the backyard. It was a magical day."

"So then what happened? I mean, how did you know dad had not kept his promise?"

She shrugged. "After it was all over and you had gone to sleep, I asked Charlie what his plans were. He hummed and hawed and admitted that he hadn't gone around to closing his business yet. I was stunned—so much so that I did not say a single word after that. He was probably expecting another argument followed by tears, but I was done. I made up my mind there and then to end my life the next day, as soon as he left for work."

"Mom!" I rubbed my arms in shock as I felt goose bumps break out. "How could you even think like that?"

She nodded. "You are right. However hopeless a situation is, taking one's life is cowardly. And I realized it in the morning while I changed and fed you. What good would a dead mother be to you? Better to leave quietly and hope that one day, we would meet again, in better circumstances. So, that's what I did." Then she smiled suddenly. "And look at you now! So beautiful, and married already! I missed you every day of the last fifteen years, Izzy, but right now I think leaving was the right decision. God only knows what kind of home you would have grown up in otherwise."

"I went to boarding school when I was eleven," I volunteered randomly.

"Um, I am sure you had a good time when you came home for holidays," she tried to be optimistic.

"We did go on a lot of trips abroad, yes, and Sue was very attentive to my needs. Charlie was rather strict in some ways, but he wasn't stingy in providing pocket-money."

She heard the unsaid complaint, of course. "Oh Baby, I don't mean to justify my actions in any way. Of course it would have been wonderful if we could have lived together, been a proper family. But you do see why I had to leave, don't you?"

Her eyes had so much hope that I could not be angry with her. And I _did_ see. However much she wished to be with me, she could not have stayed with Charlie. And what if it would have become too much and she had committed suicide? No, anything was better than _that_.

There was a light knock on the door. Edward came in, smiling uncertainly. It was such a relief to see him that I got up and hugged him tightly. He must have been surprised, but returned it equally enthusiastically. I took a deep breath and felt life returning to my lungs. However much I wanted to be the child whose mother had left her years ago, I also understood that bonding with her would be a slow process. I was no longer a child; I had a life of my own and a family. I wanted to be near her, but I also needed my space. I also needed Edward.

He had said something in my hair. I laughed and stepped back so he could speak clearly.

"Mom wants to know if you two need something—tea, coffee, a cold drink. She said talking can be exhausting."

I could have kissed Esme for her thoughtfulness. "Mom," I turned to her as an idea struck me, "why don't we join everybody in the kitchen? I am sure you would like a bite too—you hardly had anything at lunch. Plus all of us would like to hear about your time with Edward in the hospital."

Renee nodded gratefully. Perhaps both of us needed a break from the heaviness that had seeped in our conversation. We moved to the kitchen where Esme, Rose and Emmett were already gathered. I was glad to see Esme had showing off my baking skills by offering the peanut butter cookies I had made in the morning. I wanted my mom to see me as someone else than a cry-baby.

It was easier to be cheerful there, surrounded by people I loved and who loved me. We listened curiously while Renee recounted how strangely close she had felt when she had seen Edward for the first time in the ICU.

"His ribs were bruised pretty badly, but other than that he had not a mark upon him," she mused. "I just felt that he _had_ to wake up, and that he would like to hear a friendly voice while he was asleep. So I would talk with him on and off throughout the night." She turned to Edward. "And you know what—sometimes I could sense movement beneath your eyelids. A couple of times I even noticed your hands twitch, but it never happened in front of a doctor—I have no idea why."

"Probably because they didn't talk with me," Edward joked, but I thought it might have been a valid reason. "Isn't it strange that you told me all about your little girl, and then I met her and just felt this affinity to her, and we ended up married? Maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me something, even though I didn't know _she_ was your daughter?"

We agreed that it was a huge coincidence, if it was that. As to whether Renee's words had made such an impact upon Edward's mind or not, who could say for sure? It would remain a mystery, as many things in this world were. I was just happy that I had married Edward, however it may have happened.

Renee was just telling us that she had hoped to speak with Edward sometime after he woke up, when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen to see Charlie's name flash and smiled. He was probably calling to ask if it would be a good time to make his entry. But when I pressed the 'talk' button, it turned to be Sue's voice on the other end. And she sounded frantic.

I heard her words without being able to make any sense of them. I asked her to slow down and repeat what she had said. And then I felt faint as I understood finally. As always, I looked at Edward for help.

Of course he could see something was wrong. "Bella," he took my free hand in his and pressed it worriedly to his heart. "Bella, what happened?"

I forced myself to speak. "It's Charlie," I answered, my voice shaking as everyone stared at me. "He is having a heart attack."

* * *

End Note: So, plenty to chew upon in this chapter, right?


	30. Chapter 30

Have you checked out the Dirty Talking Edward Contest yet? There are some real gems in the entries, and the voting has begun, so do head over there, read and vote for your favorites!

That was why I did not update earlier. I kept on detouring to that page. ;)

Disclaimer: SM owns everything 'Twilight'.

Pre-read by TeamAllTwilight, my sweetest fandom-friend!

* * *

Chapter-30

There were some advantages of living in a small town, I suppose. We made it to Charlie's house in ten minutes flat.

There was already an ambulance parked neatly in front of the house. We rushed in through the open door to find two paramedics in the living room, with Charlie reclining on a large and very comfortable couch. One of them was talking softly to him, seemingly taking him through some sort of breathing exercise. The other paramedic was on his phone, telling someone that the patient would not need to be hospitalized. I frowned in confusion. Shouldn't they have got Charlie on a stretcher and into the ambulance by now?

The one on the phone switched it off and smiled at us. "Hi, I am Jeff from the hospital. You must be Charlie's daughter."

I nodded and introduced Edward to him. I looked around for my mother, but she was still standing in the entryway, looking hesitant. "Um, Jeff, aren't you going to take Charlie to the hospital?" I asked worriedly.

He smiled reassuringly. "It wasn't a heart attack Bella, so no; your father does not need to go to the hospital."

"Then why did Sue call us saying it was? I don't understand." Surely Sue wouldn't joke about such a serious matter!

Sue came bustling out of the kitchen, her eyes red-rimmed. She held my hands in her as if requiring support. "Oh Bella, I was so scared!" she breathed, looking ready to cry again.

Jeff patted her shoulder. "Don't worry Sue, he will be all right. See, his color is already better. Just give Mike some time with him, okay?"

"What happened?" I was ready to stamp my foot with frustration. Why wasn't he explaining whatever the matter was properly instead of giving vague replies?

"Oh sorry," he smiled kindly. "Your father had a panic attack. Since some of its symptoms are similar to a heart attack, Sue understandably mistook it for one and called Emergency. And of course she also called you right after that."

"Panic attack?" I couldn't imagine Charlie panicking over anything, ever. He was always so cool and collected. Of course he had been worried over the impending meeting with my mom…

"Yes," he explained patiently, "he suffered from difficulty in breathing, pain in the heart and dizziness. I guess you have never seen anybody have one?"

I shook my head in a no, feeling a little dazed. I had heard of them, but never really knew the details, the symptoms or the causes. There had been no reason to. Then I understood why my mother had stopped just inside the door. I gave her a quizzical look, and she nodded slowly, beckoning me.

"It will be better if he does not see me right now," she said in a soft murmur as we backed out of the room and into the porch outside. "It might aggravate his condition. Let him calm down and rest a bit, and then you talk with him. If he says he is ready to see me, I will come back."

"Where are you going?" I asked, panicking slightly. Was she already leaving me?

She caressed my cheek and smiled. "Esme asked me to stay at the house, but if you are uncomfortable with that I can go to a hotel—if there is one in this town!" She chuckled, making me relax. Edward, who had come out with us, shook his head and commented that there was only one hotel, and he wasn't letting her stay there.

"It is all right in an emergency I suppose, but not otherwise, and mom would kill me if I didn't bring you back home. That reminds me—I should call her and let her know everything is okay here."

He took out his phone and made a quick call, repeatedly assuring Esme that there was no danger to Charlie's life and he wasn't been taken to the hospital. However, before my mother could leave, Sue appeared at the door. She took one look at Renee and began to cry softly. Mom embraced her, her eyes full of tears too. It took them a moment to speak.

"I thought I would never see you again," said both of them at the same time, which caused them to laugh weakly through their tears. Then my mother gave Sue a brief summary of her years away from home, expect that she didn't try to make light of it like she had done with us. Obviously she knew it wouldn't fool Sue.

"Mom, you two must have a lot of catching up to do," I suggested. "Why don't you talk while Edward and I go and see how Charlie is doing?"

Sue's forehead wrinkled as something occurred to her. "Where are you staying, Renee?"

"At the Cullens, it seems," she answered. Sue shook her head.

"Please come and stay here, Renee. I have so much to tell you!" she pleaded, glancing at Edward and me in case we protested. I wasn't sure what to say, actually. It was up to my mother, I guessed.

"But I shouldn't be around Charlie right now…"

"He won't know! This house has more rooms than we need, and Charlie has not been in half of them. You can just go upstairs quietly and settle into one of the guest rooms." Sue sounded so eager. I could see mom wavering.

"Are you sure? Izzy told me in the car that he has been stressed out because I was coming here. Thank God it wasn't a heart attack, but I wouldn't want him to have another panic attack either." Mom was still hesitating, even though it was clear that she wanted to be here.

"I am telling you—he wouldn't know. Come on, I will take you upstairs right now. Wait, let me see first what they are doing." Sue was getting herself into a frenzy.

Mom laughed. "My luggage is still at the Cullens', though."

"I will go and get it, Renee," Edward volunteered. He looked amused at their eagerness, but also understanding. "I will be back in a jiffy. Why don't you go in, Bella?"

So that's what we did—I went in to see Charlie, while Sue and Renee waited outside for Edward to come back with Renee's luggage. Of course Sue asked me to call her if she was required inside.

Charlie was sleeping comfortably, covered with a light blanket. The paramedics informed me that they had done all that was to be done, and then left me sitting near him. A minute later I heard the ambulance pulling out.

-JRFM-

Before Charlie woke up from his nap, Edward had returned with Renee's luggage and she had been installed in one of the mysterious guest rooms. Sue was right in that though—the house had too many rooms. I had been here for a brief period before I got married, and I had not cared to explore all of them. Why Charlie had to buy such a monstrosity I had no idea, except that he might have wanted to maintain a certain status.

Edward sat with me, talking quietly and making me feel better in general. Even though I understood that a panic attack was not life-threatening, I was worried. What if it happened when Sue wasn't around? Who would help him or even call for help? Seeing Charlie helpless was almost surreal—he had always been such a strong, nothing-can-happen-to-me-so-don't-you-worry kind of parent. It was like he was invulnerable.

I was relieved when he woke up and smiled at me. Then his brow furrowed as he looked around and realized that he was lying on the couch in the living room and not in his bed. He tried to get up and I jumped to help him. For once, he let me. Edward supported him from the other side, and between us we managed to sit him up. When he spoke, his voice sounded uncertain.

"Bella, wh—what happened? Why was I sleeping here?"

"You had a panic attack, Dad. Don't you remember anything about it?"

He rubbed his hands on his face. "Yes, I remember now. So it was a panic attack? I thought I was going to die."

Sue, who must have been lurking in the kitchen, came with a glass of cold water and asked Charlie to sip it slowly. He obeyed without any arguments, and I was again struck by his passive demeanor. What had happened to the father I had known all my life?

"Are you feeling okay now, Charlie?" asked Sue hopefully.

Dad moved his neck as if it had become stiff. "Yes, just a bit weak." He grimaced at the word. "Did you call the emergency service?"

"I did," Sue affirmed. Tears filled her eyes. "I thought you were having a heart attack! I called Bella too."

"Thank you, Sue," said Charlie, clearly grateful. Then he looked around again, but this time it seemed to me that he was looking _for_ someone. "Anyone else come with you, Bella?"

I pressed my lips together to suppress my smile. He thought he was being sly, did he now?

"No Dad, Esme said she would join us at the hospital—she was waiting for Carlisle to come home, you see—he was just on his way. If you like, I can call them here." I kept my expression innocent and my tone bland. In my periphery I could spy Sue looking puzzled, but then she smiled.

"Oh, I wasn't asking about Esme or Carlisle," he replied, somewhat flustered. He cleared his throat. "Um, isn't your mother here? She was to arrive around noon, right?"

"Oh, mom," I drew out the 'o' in mom, biting my lip. "She is here, of course, but I had no idea you would have liked to see her this soon. Weren't you mortally afraid of her?"

Edward piped up then. "Bella, why are being so obtuse? Of course your father wants to see your mom. I don't know why—Ow!" The exclamation was a result of a well-directed kick to his shin. He rubbed it over his jeans, glaring at me. "What did I do now? You had better give me a list of topics to avoid mentioning in front of other people, you know!"

Charlie looked highly amused at this turn in the conversation, but then he sighed wistfully. "Bella, I am not afraid of meeting her. I am afraid that she would not want to meet me at all. Wouldn't blame her of course, but I was really hoping she might have come with you after getting Sue's call. If nothing else, I would like to apologize to her for all the wrongs I have done against her. You know what was the first thought when I experienced this chest pain and shortness of breath?"

I could guess, but I still asked him what it was. "Well, there were two, actually. First, I hoped I would get to say goodbye to you before I died."

"Oh Dad!"

He half-smiled. "Yes, I really did think that. Second, I hoped I would get a chance—just one chance—to tell Renee how sorry I was for everything: for all the lies, the broken promises, the threat that I would never let her take you with her—oh, there is so much I want to apologize for. But it seems she is not interested in seeing me at all."

I felt bad for teasing him. "So you don't mind if I call her right now?"

His eyes lit with hope. "Of course not, Bella, but—you think she will come?'

I turned towards the stairs and hollered "Mom!" making everybody jump. I was sure she was hiding somewhere nearby, listening to the whole conversation. She did not disappoint.

"Charles Patrick Swan!" thundered my mother as she appeared in the room instantly and marched up to my father, her expression half-soft and half-formidable. "If you scare me again by having _any_ kind of attack, I am going to kill you!"

I laughed out of sheer joy. My parents were going to be all right. Edward, however, gave me a confused look.

"Wouldn't that kind of defeat the purpose, Bella?"

* * *

End Note:So there you are. No prolong angst with Charlie being on the brink of death!

I know that SM never mentioned Charlie's middle name, but I thought Patrick was a good one for shouting purpose.:P

Edward is so sincere—he just doesn't get sarcasm!


	31. Chapter 31

Oh dear, so many contests to check out! Earlier I was reading the entries for DTE and then I came across the TLS Angst Contest. So many amazing stories—they made me cry! The results have been declared, so go there and read at least the winning entries, if not more.

Also, I have been reading 'The Art of Fluffing' by Chocolate Sparrow—it is a complete laugh riot! Solemn warning: Please do not eat or drink anything while reading this story. I won't be responsible for your choking to death!

Now that I have got that out, let us proceed with the story!

Disclaimer: Same old, same old.

Pre-read by the wonderful TeamAllTwilight. I wonder if she ever sleeps!

* * *

Chapter-31

While returning home, I was almost giddy with happiness. My father was fine, if a bit shocked with what had happened to him. My mother did not seem to be in any hurry to go back to Florida. After she had scolded him for having the panic attack and warned him that he should not have any more in the future, they just stared at each other, not moving, and not saying a single word. It was awkward, and I wasn't sure how to act. Should I stay so that I could help them communicate, or would leaving be more appropriate? Finally I caught Sue's eye and followed her to the kitchen.

"They have so much between them, Bella," she said in a quiet voice. "I think we should leave them alone so they can thrash it out. This is not something they would like to have witnesses around for."

"So you think they will be all right?" I needed reassurance from her—she had known both of them for more years than I had. I twisted my hands in front of me. "I am just scared that mom will disappear if I leave her alone—I mean, not alone, but not in front of me either, you know? They seem so tense right now."

Sue had a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, as I said, they have a lot of talk about. As for being tense, that is perfectly natural. Before Renee left, they had a very active sexual life." My eyebrows climbed to my hairline at this unexpected piece of information, but Sue did not stop. "Sometimes I wore earmuffs around them, just to remind them that they were not alone. Those two could be so loud—" She shook her head and smiled. "Maybe I should hunt for my muffs: pretty sure I am going to need them again!"

I blinked at her, trying to process the words she had poured in my ears. Did she want to scar me for life? What person wants to hear about their parents doing the deed? Plus they were _old_ now. Ew.

Her smile fell a little. "You are a married woman, Bella. Surely you understand the concept of sexual tension? Of course you have never been away from Edward yet, so maybe there hasn't been a chance for it to build up…"

How could I admit to her that we had not even gone all the way? That would have been impossible to explain. I smiled and nodded as if I indeed understood everything, and then went out into the living room and said quick goodbyes to my parents. Both of them hugged me, which made me feel somewhat better. Edward added his goodnight to mine, and then we were on our way back.

Even though I was beyond happy for my parents, my thoughts were anything but tranquil. Would my mother be able to forgive my father? Did he still resent her for disappearing so completely from his life, in spite of his lies and broken promises? What if she had someone else in her life now—someone who had a regular job and made her happy? Maybe she still loved Charlie—he certainly loved her—but would it be enough to make a new start with him? Sue seemed to be sure of the outcome of their 'talk', but that steered my mind in another direction altogether. Was there something like sexual tension between Edward and me, or were we more like friends? He had made me feel good whenever we had experimented, but it wasn't as if my body hungered for him.

"Bella?"

I was startled. When had we reached home? With my mind so preoccupied, I had completely missed our arrival. I turned to find Edward looking curiously at me.

"Are you okay? Your face is all screwed up." He put his fingertips on my forehead, smoothing away the frown there. I smiled and told him I just had a lot on my mind. He nodded gravely.

"Let's go inside."

Although Edward had already called Esme earlier, she wanted to know more, now that we were home. Carlisle didn't ask any questions, but it was clear he was paying attention to my answers. Emmett and Rose listened willingly, but soon I changed the topic of conversation. I needed some distance from the events of the day while I absorbed them slowly. Luckily Emmett had a lot to say about his plans to expand his father's business, and then Rose joined in, giving her input rather shyly. Emmett smiled proudly as it became clear how much of the business strategy Rose had grasped, and how invested she was in it.

After dinner was over, Edward asked me if I wanted to see a movie or play a game, but I pleaded tiredness. Strangely enough, Emmett backed me up, adding that there was a gift for us in our room, so we should really go there and check it out. For good measure, he looked at Edward and winked, leaving both of us extremely puzzled.

"I hope it is not another monkey," muttered Edward as we climbed the stairs.

I stopped with my right foot on the next step, sure I had heard wrong. "Did you say a monkey?"

Edward stopped too, of course. "Yes, I don't like them, for some reason." He said it in a very matter-of-fact manner, like somebody stating that they didn't like carrots.

"You mean, Emmett has got you a monkey before?"

He took my hand and tugged it so I began to move again. "Yes, when we were in college. I entered our room after a long session in the library, half-asleep, and there it was on the windowsill. It was a stuffed one, but I didn't realize that before I screamed loud enough to bring everybody on the floor running." His lips twitched with amusement.

I could not help laughing either. We opened the door to our room cautiously, and Edward peeked inside to make sure there was nothing unwanted there before he let me step in. Suddenly something struck me and I turned to him.

"Edward, who told you about this monkey business?"

"Nobody, I just remembered it when Em mentioned a gift. Why?"

I shook my head. "Don't you realize—you remembered something from before the accident?" I stammered in excitement as I grasped his shoulder and shook it. "Nobody prompted you—it came to you on your own!"

He laughed. "What a thing to remember though! Anyway, now I can get back at him. He is afraid of spiders!"

"What is his gift this time, though?" I wondered, looking around and seeing nothing new. "Maybe he was just pulling your leg."

Edward, who had just opened the drawer where his manuscripts were kept, frowned at something and fished out a thick book covered with dark red paper. "Has he given me a book? That's not like him at all."

"What is it?" I asked curiously. He opened it and gazed at the first page as if it was written in Greek. Then his mouth lifted slightly at the corners, his eyes crinkled, and he barked out a laugh of disbelief.

I snatched the book from him impatiently and looked at the title. 'Sex for Dummies' was written in black, bold letters across the bright, white page. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but it seemed that my brain had shut down. Meanwhile Edward was giggling like a teenage girl as he took out a box from the drawer.

"Look Bella, he also gave us a boxful of condoms!" he declared gleefully. "Now I won't have to order them online. Isn't he a great friend?"

* * *

End Note: Yes, isn't he? ;)

And of course people in their forties don't have sex! Especially if they are one's parents!

Thanks to the reviewer who gave me the idea of Sue using earmuffs.

Next chapter will be up soon; just let me get in the mood. Reviews might help! :)


	32. Chapter 32

Oh, thank you so much! I can always count on you. I asked for reviews to get me in the mood, and they came pouring in.

So, the chapter we all have been waiting for!

Disclaimer: SM owns 'Twilight': I just make Sweetward play with condoms!

Pre-read by my sweet fandom-friend, TeamAllTwilight.

* * *

Chapter-31

I almost passed out at Edward's comment.

"You were going to order c-condoms?" I squeaked, sinking on the bed as my knees gave way. The letters of the title swam in front of eyes. I snapped the book shut and tried to focus on Edward's face instead.

He gave me a carefree grin as he kicked off his shoes and jumped on the bed, upending the box so that the multitude of colored packs scattered between us. My eyes widened as I took in the different brands, proclaiming their USP—dotted and ribbed for more friction, extra thin for a natural, condom-less feeling, glow-in-the-dark for 'that special mood' and extra-large for 'the well-endowed man'. I had never set my eyes on a single condom in my life, and now—it was as if we were going to open a store of our own!

"What did Emmett do—raid the Walmart?" muttered Edward, fascinated with all the variety available to us. He picked up one after the other at random, reading whatever was written on the pack. "Hey Bella, this one says it's not meant for vaginal sex—so what can it be used for then?"

I tore away my eyes from the bounty spread in front of me and took the one he was puzzling over. It said it had three flavors to offer—chocolate, strawberry and banana. The description brought to my mind something a friend of mine had mentioned while going gaga over a popular brand's chocolate flavored condom. I could feel my cheeks heat up as Edward gazed at me in expectation.

"Um, they are meant for oral sex," I managed to stutter. He was still looking at me as if I was Wikipedia personified, so I explained further. "Sometimes the girl doesn't like the taste of the boy's…penis, so she prefers that he use a condom. So, um, she would like something that tastes and smells good, like chocolate or strawberry."

Edward's eyes widened comically. "You mean—girls put a penis in their _mouth_? Why would they do that?"

I was sure my face was red as a beetroot by now. Even a sex-ed teacher wouldn't get this question asked to them, and I was far from being one. But I also knew there was nothing but genuine curiosity behind Edward's question. How could I refuse to answer him?

"Because the boys like it, I suppose," I said, fidgeting uncomfortably. Finally I took off my shoes and sat on the bed, drawing my knees close and putting my arms around them.

Edward looked confused. "Shouldn't a girl do it because _she_ likes it?"

It was a valid question, but I wasn't qualified enough to answer it. "I really don't know, Edward. I never had a detailed discussion about it with anybody. Perhaps the girls like it too? Or it may be one of those things you do because you want to please the other person?"

"Hmm," he nodded, "that I understand. Bella, when you stroked my penis that day—what?" He asked as I giggle-snorted.

"Could we call it something else? 'Penis' really reminds me of the sex-ed class in school."

His smile became mischievous. "You mean something like a lovestick or lightsaber?"

That made me giggle even more. "Or maybe burrito or boomstick?

Edward must have paid a lot of attention to the list, for he instantly came up with candle and custard-launcher, the latter of which made me go 'ew'. I did not want the 'custard' anywhere near me. Suddenly I was grateful to Emmett for the plethora of condoms. Of course, that thought brought me right back to my earlier question.

"Edward, you never told me why you were going to order condoms in the first place?"

He pouted. "I will answer your question only after we have found a name for my…deep V-diver," he declared, looking proud of himself for remembering that one. I chortled loudly and quickly covered my mouth with my hands. No need to let everyone in the house hear my merriment. I imagined having to explain to Esme the reason and cringed.

"Okay," I said, searching for something suitable in the 'list'. "I don't really like these outlandish ones. Let's settle for something cute, like weenie. All right?"

"Weenie?" he scowled as if I had insulted him. "You said it was big, didn't you? We should give it more importance!"

"But it's cute," I protested, "just like you. It suits you, unlike those weird ones."

That immediately got me a smile. "You think I am cute?" Evidently Edward had _some_ things common with boys of his age. I could have teased him, but I was in a hurry to hear his answer, so I assured him that he was in fact, very cute. He beamed at me, gratified.

"Okay, but at least we should add mister to it—it sounds much better, doesn't it?"

I nodded and raised an eyebrow, reminding him of my question. The answer turned out to be quite simple.

"You remember we told Em at the hotel that we were waiting to have sex?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and tilting his head a little to the right. Of course I did. "So, he got hold of me when we were back here and told me there were ways to have sex without making a baby." I 'oohed' silently. Of course Emmett was not going to let that go. I wasn't sure how I felt about it though. On one hand, I was quite content taking it slow, discovering each-other step-by-step. On the other, just the thought of having sex with Edward made my stomach flutter and my throat dry. I knew I loved him—so why wait anymore?

Edward continued, oblivious to my body's reaction to his words. "He told me to buy some condoms and then get on with it. When I asked him how, he smacked his forehead and muttered that what I needed was a handbook that would tell me _everything_. Of course after that we got busy with your mom's return and everything, so I sort of forgot about it. It wouldn't have been the right time anyway. But now that's all over, and we have this book," he picked it up and waved it a bit. "And we have all these condoms…so," and there it was, his sweet, adorable smile. "Can we get on with it, Bella?"

I could not help myself. I jumped upon him, across the colorful multitude on our king-size bed, so that we crashed heavily on the thick mattress covered with the softest cotton sheets. All around us squares and rectangles flew into the air. Edward's words and his smile woke up some dormant instinct inside me. I felt as if I could tear off his clothes that very minute and make him mine.

Since I wasn't too sure I could do that, I settled for kissing him senseless—for the moment.

* * *

End Note: Of course she did! Wouldn't you?

Don't worry—there will be no fade-to-black here! But I have to sleep too, you know? As I am too impatient to wait until I have written more, I am posting this much for now. Next chapter very soon, probably by tomorrow!

Rob's underwater kiss for the Dior ad—phew! Hot!


	33. Chapter 33

Seems everybody had fun reading the previous chapter! Yes, it was short, but it was either that or wait until I had written more, so…

Anyway, let's get on with it. Gosh, am I nervous!

Disclaimer: SM owns 'Twilight'.

Pre-read by the wonderful TeamAllTwilight.

* * *

Chapter-33

I had kissed Edward before, of course, and the last time we had even used tongue, but it was always soft and playful. Today, however, I felt a desperation that I had never felt earlier. I wanted to be as close to him as was physically possible, to be absorbed in him and absorb him in turn. I understood that physical intimacy between two people who loved each-other was an extension of their emotional bond, but knowing the basic 'how to' of sex in theory and putting it in practice are two very different things. Hence I put all my feelings into that kiss, exploring his sweet mouth and massaging his tongue with mine. As always, Edward responded instantly. I felt his teeth nipping my bottom lip lightly as his arms tightened around me and then his hands slipped under my top. The feel of his large hands sliding on my bare skin was intoxicating, and I wanted more. But when I tried to pull his shirt off, he broke off our kiss abruptly.

Feeling rather dazed, I blinked at him like an idiot as his lips moved. Was he saying something to me? I shook my head to clear it, and it was as if someone had switched off the mute button for a TV and the sound had returned.

"Are you trying to take off my shirt, Bella?" he asked, repeating his earlier question I guessed.

"Of course. Shouldn't I?" I tried to breathe more evenly.

"I think it would be easier if you let me sit up first?"

I felt rather foolish. Of course I could not take his shirt off while he was under me, with my mouth attached to his. However, as soon as he sat up and whipped off his shirt, I forgot all my awkwardness. My eyes hungrily took in his wide shoulders and the toned muscles of his arms, moved to his chest with its light smattering of hair, and then down to his narrow waist. I was awed with the perfection of his body. I wanted to worship it.

"Bella," he laughed. "Where have you gone?"

"You have such a beautiful body," I whispered, my hands stroking his shoulders and chest. His breath hitched.

"When you touch me—it feels so good, Bella. I can't even explain it to you. Just—don't stop."

"Never." I let me hands wander to his back, touching, touching. He groaned my name as his eyelashes fluttered shut. But when my hands came to the front of his jeans, his eyes opened and a crooked smile appeared on his clean-cut lips. He caught my hands in his, stopping their journey.

"What?" Hadn't he just asked me not to stop?

"Remember our conversation at the hotel that morning, before we left Seattle?"

I frowned. "Yes—but what in particular?"

"I told you that I wanted to see you too."

"Oh." I could feel warmth spread all over my body. "You mean—you want to see my…"

"Hey, we have to find a name for your vagina too! If I have a Mister Weenie, then you must have a…umm, Miss Winkie?"

I snorted even through my mortification. Finding silly names for Edward's penis was fun, but somehow it wasn't the same where my…lady-part was concerned. Did that make me hypocrite?

"Edward, winkie was one of the names for penis. We can't use it for my—"

He pouted. "But it matches! Anyway, do you have any other suggestion?"

"Well," I said, cringing inwardly. "There is pussy, or kitty, or coochie if you like—I'm afraid I don't know too many."

"Hmm, I suppose we could google it up, but I really like the idea of matching names." His face brightened with some new idea. "I know, let's call them Mister W and Miss W! No weenie or winkie, okay?"

"Okay." It was something I could live with, at any rate. I was still hesitant over his other request, though. He picked it up, of course.

"Bella, don't you want me to see you?"

I tried to answer lightly, but my smile probably looked more like a grimace. "Um, a girl once told me guys like…Miss W to be waxed or totally shaved, but…"

"Waxed?" Edward looked horrified. "Wouldn't that be incredibly painful?" Then his expression softened. "I don't have any expectations, Bella. Even if I have seen one some time in my life, I don't remember. Everything is new for me." He traced my cheekbone with his thumb and forefinger. "And most importantly, I love you—everything about you, even what I have not seen yet."

I took a deep breath. "Okay, then." His words did make me feel better. I peeled off my top slowly and let it drop on the floor. His eyes devoured me, making me feel more confident. When I put my hands on my back to unstrap my lacy, light pink bra, he stopped me once more.

"May I try to do that?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course."

He fumbled with the catch a bit but did not become impatient. We chuckled while he wondered how women dealt with such a contraption every day. Finally he managed to open it and looked at me with an eyebrow raised and a wide smile. I pressed my lips together, trying to suppress my own smile, and applauded him on his skill.

"I love your breasts," he remarked as his hands wandered over to them, squeezing lightly and then stroking my nipples. "They are so hard—your nipples I mean, not your breasts—_they_ are firm but soft."

Slowly he pushed me back until I was lying flat on the bed. His lips followed his hands on my breasts, and as I watched, his tongue peeked out and licked a straight path from the outside to the center. It was the most erotic sight I had ever seen, and I could not help but moan. His eyes met mine, pride shining in them as he opened his mouth and sucked on a nipple experimentally.

"Edward," I rasped as I felt wetness between my legs. My face heated up with mortification. Was it right for me to be so aroused? None of my friends had ever mentioned this part, harping on the guy's erection and 'lust-filled eyes'. I almost wished we had read the book that was currently lying somewhere around. Also, the condom packs scattered on the bed were poking my back uncomfortably. Edward must have felt them too, for he sighed and got up.

"Ugh, we have to remove these from here, Bella. They are distracting me too much," he grumbled and set about collecting them and pouring them back into the large box. Suddenly he laughed.

"What is it, Edward?" I sat up and looked around, but the reason was right in his hand.

"A pokemon condom, Bella. It says that it catches everything!" he snickered. I hid my face in my hands and laughed. Trust Emmett not to forget that particular brand!

"Hey Bella," asked Edward, suddenly solemn, "do you know how to use this thing?"

I had just spied the red-covered handbook lying on a pillow and was going to pick it up, but Edward's question stopped me mid-way. I looked at him with wide eyes. He, however, continued with his question. "I know it's supposed to go over the penis, so it can catch the semen—that's the baby-making stuff, right?" I nodded. "But how are we supposed to actually do that?"

His use of 'we' made me feel like we were doing a project for a class. It also helped lessen my embarrassment. I picked up the book and waved it to attract his attention.

"Oh yes, of course," he said cheerfully, "that's what we have this book for. Let's see—" he glanced at the index. "Hey, maybe we should read this chapter first, you know—first-time sex." He flipped through the pages. "Okay, this says that foreplay is very important to increase one's comfort level with their partner and also to get the girl wet. Lube can be used too. Isn't Emmett an idiot? He forgot to provide us with the lube. So what do we have in foreplay? Hmm, kissing, touching, licking…wow!"

"What?" I laughed at his enthusiasm.

"It says that if the foreplay helps the girl have an orgasm, it will make penetration easier, otherwise first-time sex might be painful…Oh no, Bella, I can't do this—I can't hurt you in any way." His tone told me how serious he was. Shaking my head, I turned a little and planted a smooch on his ruby-red lips. He smiled.

"What was that for?"

"For being so thoughtful, Edward. I love it that you are more worried about me than have the desire to 'get it on'."

He looked at me with a 'duh' expression on his face. "Of course I am worried about you, Bella. I love you. What we have done until now has been wonderful, but I will never do anything that might be painful to you, even though it might feel good to me."

Wasn't he the sweetest guy ever? How did I get so lucky?

"Listen Edward," I said in my most counselor-like voice. "Having sex is a part of loving your partner, to show them how much you want them close, physically, and to bring them pleasure. For the last two years I have been hearing how wonderful it is to have sex with someone you like—so I am not in a mood to wait any longer. Yes, the first time might be a little painful for the girl, but this book does tell us how to minimalize that pain, doesn't it? Please don't be scared—I know that you can never hurt me. Just let us try. Please?"

He swallowed whatever objection he had come up with and nodded. "But first we have to bring you to orgasm, okay? Let us check out the ways for that."

We read the 'first-time' chapter closely, and then a few more because something or other cropped up that required an answer. Before we knew it, we had gone through pretty much the whole book, though we paid more attention to some chapters than others. With a satisfied smirk that we were now well-versed in the science of lovemaking, we put the book away.

* * *

Okay,please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me.(Fresh ones are all right, though!) Writing my first lemon has proved to quite difficult, so let me ease into it, okay?

Thanks to all those who gave me valuable suggestions and encouraged me. You know who you are!


	34. Chapter 34

Thank you for your kind words. Having written one now, I have a new appreciation for writers who write lemons so smoothly!

Disclaimer: SM owns 'Twilight'.

Pre-read by TeamAllTwilight. Thank you for holding my hand!

* * *

Chapter-34

"Bella, I just want to try one thing," declared Edward as he unbuttoned my jeans and slowly dragged them down my legs. I swear, either he had natural seduction skills he was unaware of, or he had previous experience and his subconscious remembered it. As the denim slid down, revealing more and more skin, his eyes followed it as if he had never seen anything like it in his life. When my legs were completely bare, he started to kiss his way up my left leg, keeping his eyes on mine all the time. By the time he had repeated the whole thing on my right one, my breathing was heavy and my panties more wet than Forks in November. When he tugged at them, I obediently lifted my hips so he could get rid of them quickly. I wanted that talented mouth on me again.

"Aren't you going to take off your jeans, Edward?" I remembered his toned thighs from the last time and wanted to see them again. But it seemed Edward had other plans.

"In a few minutes, Bella. First I want to bring you to orgasm."

My mouth dropped open. "You do?"

"Of course. It would make it easier for us when Mr. W meets Miss W." Again that smile, the right corner of his mouth lifting a little more than the left one. As he spoke, he lay down beside me but on his side, supporting himself on his right elbow and letting his left hand wander all across my shoulders, my chest and then my stomach. His touch left tiny electrical charges in its wake, making my body heat up. When his lips descended upon mine—licking, sucking and nipping—I felt I was in heaven. My hands eagerly explored his back, all soft skin over hard muscles. Then his mouth trailed kisses down my neck and shoulder, and the pursing of his lips told me I was getting a hickey there. Frankly, I didn't care—it felt wonderful to me—his soft lips, the slightest scratchiness of his chin and jaw, and the weight of his body resting upon mine. As his lips progressed down, paying a lot of attention to my breasts, I felt his fingers between my thighs, making circular motions, and then two of them guided themselves inside. My back almost lifted off the mattress at the sensation.

"Wow, you are already so wet, Bella." He sounded extremely pleased at the discovery. But when he looked at me, he frowned, no doubt at my burning-with-embarrassment face.

"What is the matter, Bella? You don't look happy."

I mumbled something indistinctly, but he understood more from my tone, I think. His fingers curled up and explored my flesh like a pioneer. "Bella," he said softly, "don't be self-conscious. It's good that you are wet—it's what I was trying to get you to be. Does this feel good?"

"Yes, it does," I breathed. His exploration led him to a strategic point, and I moaned sharply. Edward raised an eyebrow and stroked it again, which resulted in another moan. He smiled. "You like this?"

"Uh-huh."

"More?"

"Yes, please." And then I was lost to the pleasure that his dexterous digits brought to me, writhing and moaning shamelessly, my hands fisting the bed sheet. He asked me if slow was better or fast, if rubbing was better than pressing. And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any better, his fingertips hit a spot that made me lose all the control and yell his name. A couple more presses, and I was lost in complete bliss. When I able to open my eyes and focus on him, he was grinning openly.

"Did I do it right, Bella?"

I nodded and then kissed him gratefully. And then I felt his hardness through his jeans. When I lazily swept my hand across it, he laughed.

"I suppose I should take these off now."

"Let me?"

"Sure."

I tried to take them off as smoothly as he had, but I am not sure of how successful I was. At any rate Edward seemed to like it, smiling at me encouragingly. When I had got rid of his navy boxers, I stroked his penis that was standing at attention by now, making Edward groan with pleasure.

"Do you think you are ready for it, Bella?"

Emotionally, I was. However, just imagining that huge thing inside me made me break out in cold sweat. Edward shook his head and wiped my forehead.

"Are you still scared?"

I could not deny it. "Believe me, I want to, but—it's just so big!"

"But we read that the vagina stretches to accommodate the penis, didn't we?"

"Well yes, but—that might take some time and some tries. What will happen before that?" I babbled nervously.

Edward pressed his lips together, either considering my question or trying not to laugh. Or he was going to cancel our activity—that I didn't want happening. I was just going to assure him that I was not backing out, when he spoke.

"Would you feel better if you were on the top?"

I thought I must have heard wrong. What guy lets the girl take the lead the first time they have sex? Wasn't it against guy rules?

"This way you will be able to take control of the movement, you know?" he explained earnestly. "You can go as slow as you want to, change the angle, whatever."

I swallowed my questions. Of course he wasn't like other guys—he was always thinking of me.

"But I don't know how to—"

He chuckled and spread his hands. "Neither do I, so it doesn't matter. But we can try, right?"

Well, wasn't that I had asked earlier? How could I back out now?

He lay back on the bed, pulling me with him, and kissed me long and slow. The feel of being skin-to skin was intoxicating, and my doubts disappeared. I felt his saluting soldier nudging at my entrance as if asking for permission. It was such a gentleman.

As I was enveloped in a haze of lust, I became braver. I moved down his torso just as he had done earlier, placing open-mouth kisses on his chest and abs. He shuddered and called my name, his voice becoming rough. When I gathered up my courage and kissed his cock, his hands pulled at my hair.

"Bella," he panted as he gazed at me with eyes that were only half-open. "Please…I can't hold for long. Put a condom on me, please."

I chose one which promised staying-power and opened the pack carefully. Then, as per instructions, I pinched the end and rolled it slowly on Edward's length, with him helping me make it smooth. Then I lifted myself over it, took a deep breath, and tried to push myself down on his south-pole.

Nothing happened. Except a little nudge, I felt nothing.

"I guess I am doing it wrong," I muttered, my face flaming. Seriously, couldn't I do _something _on my own? I felt my eyes stinging with frustration.

Edward sat up and took my face in his hands. "Hey, none of that. We are students of this art, aren't we? We are allowed to make mistakes. Here," he held his penis straight with one hand and placed the other on the small of my back. "Try again; move a bit so that you get the best angle. And put your hands on my shoulders."

I did that and looked into his eyes. It made me relax instantly. What was the hurry anyway? We had our whole life to become experts, didn't we? I moved as he had suggested until I felt the tip of his cock enter me, and then I pushed. Little by little I took his length in, until I felt something preventing me. Edward must have felt it too, for he looked down and then up, his eyes wide with awe.

"So, this is it—the hymen?"

I bit my lip. "I guess so. Should I continue?"

"Do you feel any discomfort yet?"

I rotated my hips experimentally, making Edward groan. "It just feels…full, you know?" Then I realized how inane that sounded and rolled my eyes. "No, of course you wouldn't. But no—it's not particularly uncomfortable."

He bit his lower lip. "Please continue then—I am having a hard time here, staying still." His hands moved to my hips, holding them lightly. I nodded, took another deep breath, and pushed firmly.

I wasn't sure how much pain to expect, but it was more like a pinch than any tearing or burning. Maybe I was lucky enough to have a thin hymen, or I had partially damaged it while playing a sport. Whatever the reason, I was grateful.

"Ooohhh," groaned Edward, his eyes closed and his face screwed up with obvious pleasure. "Bella, this is incredible—" he continued, opening his eyes and kissing me once. "I had no idea it would be this wonderful." Then his expression grew concerned. "Are you okay, though? Any pain?"

"Just a twinge," I answered, trying to get used to the overwhelming sensation of fullness within. "I think I should try to move—get more comfortable."

Gingerly I moved up and down, and then rotated my hips again. After a few in-and-outs, the discomfort decreased and I began to see what all the fuss was about. The friction between us felt amazing, causing both of us to moan. Edward's hips moved too as he thrust up, and gradually we developed a rhythm. However, it lasted for only a minute or two. Then Edward's pace faltered, his face scrunched up in a familiar expression, and with almost a reverent whisper of my name, he collapsed on the bed, taking me with him.

For a few minutes we remained silent and wrapped up in each-other's arms. Then he sat up, grinned at me and said he was going to dispose of the condom. I stared at his pale ass as he disappeared into the bathroom, wondering if I would ever become that comfortable around him. Then I noticed a tiny smear of blood on my thighs. Urgh! I snatched up Edward's shirt and pulled it on hurriedly, just as he came out. Giving him a shy smile, I rushed into the bathroom to clean myself up.

When I came back, I found him lolling on the bed in his boxers. He took my hand and pulled me down beside him, and put his arms around me. I tucked my head in the crook of his neck and breathed contentedly.

"I think we did pretty well for our first time, didn't we?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled because of my hair.

"Umm-hmm," I replied, suddenly feeling sleepy. I yawned, and he chuckled.

"Want to sleep?"

"I know it's early—"

"It's okay—the time is ours to do as we please." He yawned too, making me smile. "I guess I can use a nap too." He switched off the light, pulled a light blanket over us and wrapped me snugly in his arms. "And Bella?"

"Hm?"

"Mr. W says thank you to Miss W."

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End Note: Edward is not a monster or anything. It is just Bella's perception. Maybe in a few years she will think his 'Mr.W' is average-sized! ;)

So, how did they do? Your suggestions to make their love-life better are welcome.


	35. Chapter 35

So many lovely and encouraging reviews for the previous chapter—I am stoked! This definitely gives me the courage to go ahead and get our E&B to try new things.

A few readers asked about Jasper. He will be back soon. Until then, let's have some more fun, okay?

Disclaimer: SM owns everything 'Twilight'.

Pre-read by the excellent TeamAllTwilight. I added a few sentences before posting, so any mistakes are mine.

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Chapter-35

In the romance novels I had read, the hero was always the experienced one. He was also at least a few years older to the heroine, and worldlier than her. When they had sex for the first time, he would take care of the girl and hold himself back until she came again, while he was inside her. It would make her see stars. And after they had made sweet love for the first time and had some rest, they would wake up and be at it again, and the girl would be completely used to the intrusion and come multiple times. And then they would go to sleep again, and maybe have another round in the morning, having woken up fresh-faced and glowing, with their breath as fresh as mint.

Excuse me, but that is all poppycock. At least, most of it is. Of course in our case Edward was as experienced as I was, or even more because he had not even chatted with his buddies about sex—not that he could remember anyway. What he did have on his side was a truly kind heart and willingness to learn, and that is what made our first time memorable. Even though we were awkward at times, and even though he lasted barely a couple of minutes, both of us were happy and satisfied. And no, we didn't sleep embracing each-other the whole night. I doubt if anybody can do that. Wouldn't they get terribly stiff? Anyway, our…activity must have helped reduce the day's stress, for I slept deeply for nearly ten hours. When I woke up, Edward was already up and about.

I instinctively stretched even before opening my eyes and winced at the slight soreness in my kitty. Even though our session had been short, I could feel the after-effect quite clearly. Obviously it would take a few days, and nights, to get used to his cock. He had shrugged when I had commented on its size, but I was sure it was on the bigger side. We had read that the average male penis was five and a half inches long when aroused, and that it was sufficient to satisfy a woman if the man knew what he was doing. Maybe I could measure Edward's. I was sure he would not mind.

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the soft morning sunshine flooding the room through the long row of casement windows. Edward must have drawn the curtains when he got up. I sat up and spied him coming out of the bathroom, freshly shaved and showered. He had a striped blue-and-white towel wrapped around his hips and his hair was damp, and I could not take my eyes off him. There was a drop of water making its way from the place where his cheek met his jaw, to his chest and then down his abs before losing itself in the thick fabric of the towel. It had a mesmerizing effect on me as I followed its path with my eyes. When it vanished from my sight, I blinked in confusion as Edward sat in front of me, an amused smirk on his lips.

"What were you staring at so intently, Bella?" he asked, honestly curious.

"A drop of water," I mumbled, obviously not having recovered the use of the logical part of my brain. When he frowned, trying to make some sense of my answer, I explained brilliantly—"It was so pretty."

Edward shook his head and gave up. "You look kind of _hungry_. Should we go get some breakfast?"

I came out of my lust-haze and agreed that breakfast was definitely required. I brushed my teeth, shampooed my hair quickly in the shower and changed into a dress, for a change. For some reason I wanted to have more of Edward's attention than usual, and the pretty yellow sleeveless dress with a cinched-in waist seemed just the thing. I left my hair loose after having towel-dried it, and put on a light pink lipstick on a whim. It didn't last long though. As soon as I stepped into the room, Edward, who was still looking delectable in a white V-neck tee and light blue jeans, wrapped me into his arms and kissed the lipstick right off. I sighed and gave it up.

Mrs. Cope and Esme were already busy in the kitchen, and smiled a welcome at us before asking what we wanted for breakfast. However, I was adamant that we should help them, so I was given the task of preparing a pitcher of fresh orange juice, whereas Edward set about cutting some fruit. By the time everything was finished, Emmett, Rose and Carlisle had joined us.

While having breakfast I noticed Rose and Esme giving me sly looks, but couldn't figure out the reason. Was there a stain on my dress? Finally Emmett let the cat out of the bag when he looked at me while asking something and guffawed loudly.

"Dude, you gave her a hickey!" he commented, pointing at Edward with his fork, a piece of pancake hanging from the tines. Rose elbowed him hard, but it did not deter him in the least.

"What's a hickey?" asked Edward, looking at me as if trying to find something unusual on my body. Emmett helpfully pointed to my right shoulder.

"There—just peeking out from under the strap—see that reddish mark? That's a hickey."

My ears were burning, but Edward bent forward, clearly interested in his 'gift'. "How could I have done this?" he frowned. "This wasn't even mentioned in the book you gave to me!"

Esme looked puzzled. "You gave him a book on kissing?" she asked Emmett. I prayed he would not answer, and thankfully he did not, just shaking his head instead. But Edward jumped in feet first.

"No Mom, it was 'Sex for Dummies'," he volunteered, adding, "It was really helpful. You should read it too." He popped in a piece of bacon and chewed it appreciatively as both Esme and Carlisle choked on their food. I wasn't in a much better state, and Rose was trying to cover her laughter with a desperate fake cough. Emmett was nearly hysterical with laughing, banging on his chest in an effort to stop himself, his face bright red. I kicked Edward in the shin, even though it was too late to warn him. His face was a picture of innocence as he turned to me.

"What did I say that was so funny?" Something about his expression made me suspicious though. His eyes held the same glint of mischief as they had when he had mentioned 'bedroom talk' in front of Esme. I was sure he was going to continue in the same vein, so I gave him the sternest look I could manage—the kind our teachers in high school used on certain students who were known trouble-makers. It worked, for his eyes widened and he swallowed rather nervously, keeping to himself whatever his next comment was. At least he had not mentioned the boxful of condoms!

After Carlisle bid us a hasty departure and left for his office, I dragged Edward out into the garden. We settled under a tree and I let him have it.

"Why did you have to mention the name of the book, Edward? You _knew_ it would make everybody uncomfortable, didn't you?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I knew it would garner some funny reactions, but what I do not understand is—why are people so uncomfortable talking about sex? And I had just mentioned the name of the book! I did not say a single word about what we had done last night, did I? _That_ is private, and I understand why, but why was everybody behaving like a pre-teen when all I did was to name a handbook on sex?"

I was flabbergasted by his honest assessment of the situation. It was as if he was the only adult at the breakfast table, while the rest of us had transformed into giggling twelve-year olds. Still, he could not continue like this when he met other people.

I took his hand in mine and tried to explain. "Edward, I agree that people should not behave so immaturely on this topic, but the fact is—this is how it has always been. In fact, nowadays people have become more open about discussing sex, but not in front of family members or complete strangers. It is okay if you are with a close friend, like Emmett. And recommending that book to your mom implied that your parents have…sex. That's just not done."

"You think they don't?"

"That's not the point—they are your parents—"

"—and I am sure they know all about it. They have three children to prove it, after all. But I really thought that book was a good one, you know?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I am sure your intentions were very honorable. Still, just keep my suggestion in your mind, okay? People may not react kindly at your recommendation—some of them might even take offence."

He muttered something about the strangeness of the world. Then his smile came back, mischievous as before, and my heart stuttered. "What about you, Bella?" he murmured into my neck, making the fine hair at the back stand up and take notice of his warm breath. "Can I discuss anything about sex with you?"

"Of course you can," I managed to reply even as my throat dried up. His lips ghosted on my shoulder and neck, and my arms instinctively went around his waist. My heartbeat increased and I felt warm all over. I wondered if anybody would miss us if we went to our room and remained there for a few hours. I wasn't sore any more, was I? Of course I wasn't!

And of course Emmett had to butt in and spoil the moment. He raced into the garden, followed by a breathless Rose who seemed to be trying to stop him. We had separated at the first stampede-like sound, so we watched half-frustrated and half-amused as he parked himself barely half a foot away from us and pulled at Edward's arm urgently.

"Dude," he panted, "you might have got plenty of horizontal exercise during the night, but that doesn't mean you will stop working-out with me, will you? Come on—let us go to the gym!"

Edward shrugged and stood up. "All right, but after we are done—" he addressed me as Emmett beamed at having got his friend back, "—Bella, we are going to find out how I gave you that hickey. And then you can give me one too, okay? I want one just like yours."

"And Emmett," he said as they turned and walked away, "what did you mean by horizontal exercise? I didn't do any push-ups last night."

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End Note: This chapter was basically fluff, but so much fun to write. Hope you had a good laugh reading it! We will tackle the serious issues soon.


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